Ladybirds are types of beetle. A ladybird's red or yellow body and black spots are a warning to a hungry bird that it tastes very bad, and so deter it from eating it. If the ladybird senses danger from an insect predator, it reacts by oozing a smelly yellow substance from its leg-joints, which usually drives an attacker away. Many kinds of ladybird are very useful to gardeners and farmers, because they feed on pests, such as aphids, mites and caterpillars, that do a lot of damage to crops and plants. However, some species of ladybird are herbivorous and are serious crop pests themselves. They feed voraciously on potato and squashes, but also on maize, beans and spinach.

Flight

Ladybirds, like all beetles, have hard cases that cover and protect their wings when they are not flying. When ladybirds take off, the cases open, allowing their long wings to unfold. In flight, ladybirds beat their wings 85 times a second. Like many insects, they need the air temperature to be quite warm before they can become active, and they cannot fly when it is cold.