The Four Stages
Ladybugs go through four stages during their life cycle. Egg stage -female ladybugs lay their eggs on the underside of leaves to protect them from the weather and from being seen by preditors. Larva stage -the eggs hatch and larvae emerges looking for food. The larvae will feed on amphids or tiny mites and resemble a tiny alligator. Withing a few days, the larvae begins to shed their skin. Pupa stage- During this stage, the larvae beign to change into something that looks like a shrimp. It will attach itself to a leaf and appear to be a sleep for a few days; however, it isn't sleeping at all. It is during this stage the larvae are going through metamorphosis into a ladybug. Adult Ladybug Stage -Once the metamorphosis is complete, the larvae's skin splits open and the full grown ladybug will emerge, but it still will ot look like a ladybug. The ladybug will have a soft,pale pink appearance for a couple of hours until the shell begins to harden. As the shell hardens, it gains pigment, which causes the ladybug to become a bright red.