Skip to main content

Why do ladybugs have spots?


When I was a child, my parents used to tell me that the number of the spots corresponds to the age of a ladybug and it was definitely an answer that a little girl want to hear. But the truth is, these insects are born with a number of spots that won't change for the rest of their life. It all depends on the species we are actually looking at. They can come with different patterns and colors, but the most known is the seven-spotted, red ladybug that helps us control plant pests in our gardens.

So why do ladybugs have spots? Like lots of other animals, these little beetles need some kind of camouflage to protect themselves. Black spots on their bright red body inform other animals that they might be poisonous and it won't be a good idea to eat them. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Why do we yawn?

Let's say it clear, there are two main reasons why do we yawn: we usually yawn when we are bored or when we are tired. When you have to read another essay that makes you almost fall asleep, but you force yourself to finish it so you keep reading, and reading... I'm sure that at some point you start yawning. Or after a long day at work, when you have no more energy to call a pizza delivery place so you just sit on a couch doing nothing... You yawn a few times or more. But when we see someone yawning, we yawn too. Actually, sometimes thinking about it, forces us to do it, even if we are not neither bored nor tired. So why do we yawn then? And, is yawning contagious? Well, it definitely is and I'm sure you already know about it. But do you know why? It's a one of the common forms of echophenomena which is an automatic imitation of somebody's actions.  So, are you already yawning?

Why does bread usually fall buttered side down?

This morning, when I was preparing my breakfast, it happened again: my sandwich fell to the floor, buttered side down. Maybe it's just a coincidence, or I have a permanent bad luck, but it happens to me every single time when I accidentally drop my sandwich.  In fact, there is a scientific explanation, why does bread usually fall buttered side down. There's even a site on Wikipedia dedicated to Buttered toast phenomenon . Let's just say, without mentioning unnecessary law of physics, that when you hold a toast or when you put it on the kitchen table, it is at the perfect level to rotate and land the buttered side on the floor. If you want to avoid it, there are some rules you can follow. You can cut the bread into smaller slices, or you can try to elevate the surface that you are working on , which will probably change the number of rotations and hopefully make the bread land on the desirable side. The shape of the slice is also important- if you make it a...

Why do we link foods we used to hate?

  You're preparing a family dinner: no meat and no onion for mum, but a lot of meat and a lot of onions for dad instead. Your brother is a seafood lover while your fianc é won't take a bite of anything that lives in the sea. Too complicated? Try to remember who likes olives, blue cheese, mushrooms and brussels sprout and who hates it, only to get to know that it's completely not true, because in the last few weeks everything has changed. Why do we like foods that we used to hate before? The main reason is, our taste buds regenerate. The scientists claim, it happens every two or three weeks until we celebrate our 40th birthday. Then the whole process slow down, and we don't notice the changes anymore.