By Randy Fernandez and Rebecca Baldwin

Ladybug, Ladybug fly away home. That line is the beginning of a nursery rhyme you may be familiar with. The rhyme about this beautiful, lovable insect, has some biology behind it that may interest you and we’ve created a craft to help you teach you child all about it (detailed instruction at the end and a fun demonstration of the bookmark on UF/IFAS’ social media).  

Ladybugs are insects but are not true bugs. They are beetles in the order Coleoptera. The name Coleoptera refers to the hardened wings that form a cover to protect the more delicate flight wings underneath.  Ladybugs, or more accurately, lady beetles, are known for their spherical shape and recognizable red coloration.  

In nature, red is a warning color, and indeed ladybugs are distasteful to predators such as lizards and birds.  If you disturb them, they can release a liquid, usually orange, that has an odor.  This is a warning to would be predators that the lady beetle doesn’t taste good and should be left alone.  They aren’t harmful to us, although ladybugs indoors can stain carpets, curtains, and lampshades.  Their red color, for predator protection, is good for our gardens as ladybugs are beneficial insects.    

As beetles, ladybugs have chewing mouths that they use, in both the larval and adult forms, to eat other insects, such as aphid pests.  Because of their voracious appetite for these sap-feeding aphids, ladybugs are protecting plants.   

How does this relate to the nursery rhyme?  Well, at the conclusion of a growing season, some crops are burned to prevent future pests as well as to remove the stalks or vines for the next growing season. This has been a farming practice since ancient times.   When farmers would burn their fields, people worried about the survival of these adored ladybugs that helped protect the plant while it was in season.   

Lady beetles have a complete life cycle. The eggs are laid on leaves. The larvae are active, looking like red and black alligators, and feed, not on the leaves, but on insects, the pupa is attached to a leaf to transform into the beautiful adult beetle.     

As a warning to the ladybug to fly away from the fields before they were burned, the rhyme came into being.  “Ladybug, ladybug fly way home, your house is on fire and your children are gone.”  Luckily, lady beetle adults can fly with those red wings raised and the flight wings unfolded. They can move to another area and continue feeding and laying eggs for the next generation of lady beetles. Ladybugs are so adored that you can find everything from stuffed animals, to clothing, jewelry, party supplies and household goods  with their image. 

For this craft, you can create a model of an adult lady beetle on a leaf.  This model has action, so you can extend those elytra, outer wings, expose the hind wings, and demonstrate how the ladybug would “fly away home”. You can use this craft as a bookmarker and take a break from your book to let your ladybug fly.  

Materials:

• 8.5×11″ green construction paper
• 8.5×11″ red construction paper
• 8.5×11″ yellow construction paper
• Glue stick
• Black Marker
Instructions:
Green Construction Strip
1. Cut a 2×11″ strip from the green construction paper.
2. Fold the 2×11″ strip of green construction paper horizontally.
3. Fold the corners of the folded part of the construction paper to the center to create a point.
4. Place a fold 1/3 of the way from the bottom of the strip so the strip can be pulled down.
This will make a crease and the strip, then fold the corners in, so they are now inside the
fold.
5. Check to see if the tugging mechanism works efficiently.

Lady Beetle

1. Cut a 2-1/4″ circle from red construction paper, then fold in half to make a crease.
2. Cut along the crease to divide the circle in half. These form the forewings.
3. Cut a 1″ circle from yellow construction paper.
4. Cut the yellow construction paper circle in half.
5. Cut the yellow construction paper halves into tear shapes to form the hind wings.
6. Paste the red half-circle in the upper triangle fold of the green construction paper strip.
7. Paste the yellow tear shapes on the lower triangle fold.
8. Use a black marker to draw and color the lady beetle’s body, dots, head, legs and spots on
the forewings. Remember that insects have six legs on the thorax and one pair of
antennae.
9. On the green strip paper cut so that it will fit the large leaf. You will glue the bottom of
the tugging to the leaf.

Large Leaf

1. Use the template to cut out the leaf from the green construction paper
2. Cut the green strip with the ladybug into the shape of the center large leaf
3. Glue the green strip onto the leaf paper
4. Use a black marker to outline the details of the leaf, such as adding the veins to the leaf or
adding food for the ladybug, such as aphids.

Optional:

Some lady beetles have markings on the protonum, so feel free to add colorations. For example,
you can cut out an M shape from white paper and glue it to the area above where the head and
thorax meet. This is the area you colored with a black marker. This area, the pronotum, can be
used to help identify certain lady beetles, like the introduced species called the Multicolored
Asian Lady Beetle.

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