"Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home...
your house is on fire,
and your children will burn,
except little Nan, who sits in a pan,
weaving gold laces as fast as she can!"
Where did she get her name?
Farmers, setting torches to their old hop vines after the harvest would
sing this poem to warn the beetles. The children refer to the
ladybug's larvae who could escape the flames. Nan refers to the
pupae who remained fastened to the plants (laces).
During the Medieval Times farmers were distressed over their crops
being destroyed by plant-devouring pests and prayed to the Virgin
Mary. Their prayers were answered when Coleoptera arrived. The
name "The Beetles of Our Lady" eventually became "Lady Beetles". An
adult ladybug may consume 5,000 aphids during its lifetime at a rate
of 50 per day!
The red dye that was used in British "Redcoats" and by
Betsy Ross to color the first U.S. flag, was extracted from
the shells of tiny red beetles.

Look closely at a Redcoat displayed at the museum and
you may see some tiny little legs!
In Belgium it is believed that if a Ladybug crawls on a young woman's hand,
she will be married within one year.

In Norway it is believed that if a man and a woman simultaneously see a
Ladybug, a romance will develop between them.

In France if a ladybug lands on you, your ailments will fly away with it.

Hold a ladybug in your hand and make a wish. The direction it flies away to
will show where your luck will come from.

FREE WALLPAPER !! - Compliments of National Geographic
Browse the Ladybug Gallery for Print and Greeting Card information
Please visit the Ladybug Gallery for information on purchasing prints or greeting
cards.
Visit Ladybug Gallery for information on purchasing greeting cards
or prints