My dear Toni;-
    Are you saying that there are over 300 species of "Ladybugs"?
   Is there any publication listing and illustrating these species? I am sure that a great many shell people would like to know more about them---especially at this time of year.
    Art
>
> From: Antonetta Stanzione <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2003/11/02 Sun PM 12:46:05 EST
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Q-Man on bugs
>
> I am no expert. But I do know that the spots do mean different species. Also
> the body shape somewhat varies slightly in different species. There are for
> instance Two Spotted, Nine Spotted, Three-Banded, Seven spotted and Convergent
> to name a few. Altogether there are 300 species. Also the number of spots can
> vary on individual species like the Nine Spotted can have no spots at all. And
> we think shells are hard to tell apart. Also called lady beetles or lady
> birds. In fall they tend to mobilize in swarms to seek protective shelter from the
> cold weather. They are consider one of the gifts of nature since mankind
> benefits so much from them. Their main diet consists of aphids, mealy bugs and
> their kin. Which farmers and gardeners appreciate greatly. If I remember correctly
> they eat between 36 to 45 insects a day. Hope this helps to answer your
> question. During the Middle Ages these beetles were dedicated to "Our Lady" because
> it was believe that her cloak match the red of the lady bug and to show
> appreciation for them for helping rid grapevines of insect pest this honor fell on
> them. So it is believed that if you kill a ladybug in any way "Our Lady " will
> be mad at you for seven days. So with a swarm in your house, you might want
> to be careful if you believe in things like this ; - ).
>
>                                        Toni |
>
>

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