Amazing Ladybug Facts For Kids - Kids Nature Show

Hey Junior Rangers, welcome back to the Ranger Zach Show. Today I'm feeling extra lucky. Do you know why? I just had a ladybug land on me. And not only does that make me lucky, but it gives me a great idea on what to talk about today. On today's adventure, let's learn all about the lucky ladybug. These brightly colored little creatures may be called ladybugs, but their name doesn't exactly tell the whole story. You see, ladybugs can be both female and male, and they're actually a type of beetle, not a type of bug. So while some people may call them ladybugs or even ladybirds, a more accurate name would be lady beetle. But for today, let's just stick to calling them ladybugs. There are over 5,000 different species of ladybugs that can be found all over the world. This is a seven-spotted ladybug, and it's the most common ladybug in North America. But North America isn't its native homeland. They were brought a long, long, long way from Europe by farmers who used them to keep pests away from their crops. Which brings us to the question, what do ladybugs eat? Ladybugs don't have teeth, but like all other beetles, they have powerful mouths called mandibles, and they move side to side, not up and down like our mouths do. Now, they use these mandibles to eat soft-bodied insects like aphids. To gardeners and farmers, aphids can be a really big problem, and that's because aphids eat their crops, and that's where the very hungry ladybug comes in. Ladybugs love to eat aphids, and that's because to them, they taste sweet. A single ladybug can eat 50 aphids a day and up to 5,000 throughout their entire lifetime. Warning! Warning! Warning! If ladybugs could talk, that would be their favorite thing to say. But because they can't, they need to communicate in different ways. So they use their bright colors and their dark spots as a warning sign to hungry predators, telling them, look out, I taste really, really bad. But some animals don't get the signal, and ladybugs can be gobbled up by birds, frogs, wasps, or dragonflies. Warning! Warning! Warning! I taste yucky. Are you ready for your Ranger's Act fun fact? Well, here it is. Boo! Did I scare you? When ladybugs get scared, they squirt out a stinky sour liquid from their knees, and this keeps predators away. Some people think that the smell is a mix between nuts, potatoes, mold, and peppers. P.U. Just be careful next time you go sneaking up on ladybugs. Let's learn a little bit more about a ladybug's body. Ladybugs have an oval and dome-shaped body covered by a brightly colored exoskeleton. The ladybugs that you're most likely going to come across are usually red or orange in color. But ladybugs throughout the world can come in yellow, white, and even pink. And not all ladybugs have spots. Some have no spots, and some even have stripes. You can tell you're looking at a young ladybug by taking a closer look at their spots. Younger ladybug spots are dark black, and as they get older, their spots begin to fade. A ladybug's exoskeleton protects its soft body from predators, but it's also hiding a little secret underneath. That's right! Ladybugs have wings, and they can fly! But they're not exactly the most graceful flyers. In fact, they can even be a little clumsy. And some scientists believe that this is because they have to fold their wings to fit them under their exoskeleton. But they can flap their wings 85 times per second and reach a top speed of 37 miles per hour! And that's as fast as a racehorse! Come on, Seabiscuit! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, welcome to the Rangers at Ladybug Races! Let's meet today's contenders! In lane number one, a newcomer to the race, it's We're Late for School! In lane number two, it's crowd favorite, Go Ask Your Mom! In lane number three, dark horse racer, no snack, it's dinner time! And in lane number four, reigning champion of the world, Ladybug Bug! They're walking up to the gate, they snap the bell, and they're off! It's an awkward start, but we're late for school! Looks like he forgot his shoes and had to go back to their home, but it's Ladybug Bug in the back end! Looks like he forgot his shoe, and it looks like he wants a snack, which reminds me, no snack, it's dinner time, he's still in the race! He's rapping and he's crying, but he's still sleeping! No snack, it's dinner time, wants a cracker! No snack, it's dinner time, wants a cookie! Wants some chocolate nuggies! No snack, it's dinner time, wants an 8-Bit, and gets the 8-Bit! And he's on the, looks like we're late for school, and yep, he's still there! Come on, let's go! No snack, it's dinner time, he's got a 8-Bit, boy, he's pitching a good one! He's kicking, he's screaming, he's shouting, he wants a snack, and his mom says, go get your head back in this Ladybug! And it's Ladybug Bug! And it's Ladybug Bug, go ask your mom, and go ask her in the chat now, and it's the final home stretch! And it's Ladybug Bug, and she opens her window, and she is... Ranger Station! Hi Junior Rangers, welcome back to the Ranger Station! Did you enjoy seeing those ladybugs up close and personal? My favorite part was seeing those ladybugs eat the aphids! Keep those aphids out of my garden! Thanks for your help, ladybugs! Now before we go, let's do the Ranger Roundup! This week's Ranger Roundup question was sent in by Hadley. Well Hadley, I became a real-life park ranger 10 years ago, because I love the great outdoors! And I also love teaching people to appreciate nature just as much as I do. Now I can tell that you love learning about nature, and you also care about protecting it, so if you keep that up, you can become a park ranger too. And I hope that you do, because we can use some more park rangers just like you! Now let's do the Junior Ranger Challenge! This week's Junior Ranger Challenge is to go out and find a ladybug, and count how many spots are on its back. Now if you're having trouble finding a ladybug, remember ladybugs love to eat aphids, so find some aphids first. They usually hang out on plants like milkweed or even rose bushes. If you have a vegetable garden, check there first too. Now tag me in a picture of you making your observations at The Ranger Zach Show on Instagram, and you can be featured as one of our Junior Rangers of the Week. Now don't forget, new episodes of The Ranger Zach Show come out every Monday, so make sure to like and subscribe to our channel, and you won't miss any of our really cool adventures. So until next time Junior Rangers, there's a world of adventure right outside your door, so get out there and go explore! This is Ranger Zach at Pearl the Squirrel, over and out!