"Nothing but Ladybugs"

I love the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun”. It’s just one of those fluffy, happy, feel good movies. I love the part about the ladybugs (especially the end).

Anyhoo, I found a ladybug on the windowsill of my boss’ office just a moment ago. It’s strange, there are no open windows in here, yet every spring we find countless ladybugs on or near the windowsill and far too often, the intense heat from the huge windows bakes them.

So I picked up Ms. Ladybug…and yes I know that not all ladybugs are ladies – if “A Bug’s Life” taught us anything, it was that – but this one’s a lady…because I said so :^)…so I picked up Ms. Ladybug and transferred her to my mini potted palm (which has spread like wildfire and needs to be separated and transplanted). She is now happily crawling around soil, hopefully eating any little aphides that cross her path and all in all, just brightening my day with her beauty! It's so neat; she stops, inspects an area and you can see her little front legs lift things to her mouth. It’s fascinating. She doesn’t seem too interested in wandering around the leaves, just the soil.

Ladybugs are just amazing to watch. Of course, we all know that ladybugs are touted as the harbingers of good luck, but did you know:

*There are nearly 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs worldwide and 400 which live in North America.

* A female ladybug will lay more than 1000 eggs in her lifetime.

* A ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second when it flies.

* Aphids are a ladybug's favorite food.

* Ladybugs chew from side to side and not up and down like people do.

* A gallon jar will hold from 72,000 to 80,000 ladybugs.

* Ladybugs make a chemical that smells and tastes terrible so that birds and other predators won't eat them.

* If you squeeze a ladybug it will bite you, but the bite won't hurt.

* The spots on a ladybug fade as the ladybug gets older.

* During hibernation, ladybugs feed on their stored fat.

* Ladybugs won't fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

* The ladybug is the official state insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Tennessee.

* The male ladybug is usually smaller than the female.

* The Asian Lady Beetle can live up to 2-3 years if the conditions are right.

(info from Ladybug Facts)

Enjoy your Wednesday! I'm going to go watch my ladybug...er...I mean work...yeah, that's right, work...lots and lots work...over on the filing cabinet...near the potted palm...where the ladybug just happens to be :^)