ladybug eggs

teh · Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:37 am

Hi,

I have a Hot Pepper plant with small infestation of aphids. However I also noticed some ladybug larvae on the same plant. Under the leaves of that plant I saw some yellow eggs but also at the same time there is a big yellow like insect(that look like aphid) beside those eggs. Are those aphid eggs or ladybug eggs?

Do we also need to wet the leaves a of plant in order to attract the ladybugs?

thank you

applestar · Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:53 am

A cluster of yellow eggs are most likey ladybug eggs.

What color are the aphids on your plant? There is a yellow bodied black legged aphid species but I've only seen them on milkweed.

teh · Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:59 am

applestar wrote:A cluster of yellow eggs are most likey ladybug eggs.

What color are the aphids on your plant? There is a yellow bodied black legged aphid species but I've only seen them on milkweed.

hmm my aphids are green and some are slightly yellow in color.
Those eggs have something like aphid everytime I spotted them.

teh · Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:36 am

Here is a pic of those eggs

[img]https://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo22/toypassage/SC20120319-185155.png[/img]

applestar · Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:10 am

I like this site for looking up this kind of thing:
https://www.forestryimages.org/search/action.cfm?q=Lady%20beetle%20eggs

So what do you think? Are they ladybugs/beetle eggs or something else?

I usually see them in a larger circular cluster than what you posted but the bug you see hanging around the eggs may be eating them.

One idea would be to keep them in a jar with a breathable cloth or screen lid rubber banded or tied to it and let the eggs hatch under supervision. Be sure to immediately transfer the hatchlings back to the plant to feed on aphids if they are ladybug babies.

pow wow · Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:41 am

Those are ladybug eggs. Aphids don't lay eggs, they're live bearers. In my yard I usually don't trim the grass against the trunks of my trees because that is also a favorite place for ladybugs to deposit their eggs.

teh · Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:53 am

pow wow wrote:Those are ladybug eggs. Aphids don't lay eggs, they're live bearers. In my yard I usually don't trim the grass against the trunks of my trees because that is also a favorite place for ladybugs to deposit their eggs.

Hi, So its confirm that aphid don't lay eggs? Is it possible that aphids actually eats ladybugs eggs? Cause everytime when I see these eggs I sees aphid beside it.

pow wow · Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:58 pm

I don't think so. I think it's case a of ladybugs knowing just where to drop their eggs.

Kisal · Mon Mar 19, 2012 3:35 pm

Aphids do lay eggs, but I think they do that only in the fall. The rest of the time they are all females, produced without mating with males. It's a very interesting life cycle.

pow wow · Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:45 pm

oops, I stand corrected, they will lay eggs in the fall. When I see ants in my greenhouse I know I'm in for a aphid infestation.

teh · Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:36 pm

Kisal wrote:Aphids do lay eggs, but I think they do that only in the fall. The rest of the time they are all females, produced without mating with males. It's a very interesting life cycle.

Yes I read about its life cycle and very interesting indeed. Dynamic reproductive system.

But I stay in Malaysia and we don't have 4 seasons its just hot and humid all year long so I am not sure whether will they follow the same cycle.

If its really ladybug I am a fool to have destroyed it. There are also these small yellow to transparent insects moving around quickly around the eggs.
Any idea as well what those are?

pow wow · Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:51 pm

Hello teh,
If you google aphid eggs and lady bug eggs and click on images, maybe it will help. Aphid young can be transparent but they are not fast moving. One thing you can do it spray the plant down good with the garden hose. A good strong spray (not enough to damage the leaves). It will kill the aphids but the lady bugs will crawl away and carry on.

teh · Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:04 pm

pow wow wrote:Hello teh,
If you google aphid eggs and lady bug eggs and click on images, maybe it will help. Aphid young can be transparent but they are not fast moving. One thing you can do it spray the plant down good with the garden hose. A good strong spray (not enough to damage the leaves). It will kill the aphids but the lady bugs will crawl away and carry on.

Hi Pow Pow,

I did google and try to compare the eggs but at times they looked the same that is why starting to get confuse on it. Thanks for the tips will do that when things gets out of hand.

Another thing is that in order for lady bugs to stay on within our garden we have to provide water source as well ? If so does it means that I have to wet my plant's leave every now and then?

thank you

pow wow · Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:39 am

Yes teh, it's got me a bit confused looking at the egg pictures as well.
I wouldn't worry about the water source. I get plenty of lady bugs and I'm on the edge of the Canadian prairies. If you see the ladybugs and their larva on your plants, I would just see if they can control the aphids for you.

rainbowgardener · Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:52 am

When the ladybug eggs hatch out, they hatch into larva, which look more like tiny lizards than adult ladybugs:

[img]https://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~Mary_manning/FOV1-0003AA4E/S0450FA36-04C7210B.0/Larvae.jpg[/img]

pow wow · Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:58 am

Have you ever been bitten by a ladybug larva? I have, and it really hurts. I call then little alligators.

teh · Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:42 pm

pow wow wrote:Yes teh, it's got me a bit confused looking at the egg pictures as well.
I wouldn't worry about the water source. I get plenty of lady bugs and I'm on the edge of the Canadian prairies. If you see the ladybugs and their larva on your plants, I would just see if they can control the aphids for you.

Alright then thank you very much for the info. Well I did manage to see some furry worm like insect eating up the aphids and it seems partially cleared of aphids.

Really? you have been bitten by ladybug larvae?

teh · Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:49 pm

An Update for those whom are interested.

The picture which I posted suspecting are lady bugs are actually not ladybug eggs. This is confirmed as I manage to locate a cluster of 10 eggs nicely grouped together and its a very nice oval shape with darker yellow color. These are the real ladybird eggs and saw these little alligator moving around my chilly plant.

applestar · Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:32 pm

Thanks for the follow-up

So, what came out of the other eggs?

teh · Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:34 pm

applestar wrote:Thanks for the follow-up
So, what came out of the other eggs?

Hmmm not too sure what was it. Its those yellow insects that I mentioned about also some of those eggs are actually aphids.

So if its a ladybug egg it will be well organize with its edge sticking to the leaves , very nice oval shaped and dark yellow color. Have to see one to not confuse with other insects eggs.

pow wow · Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:16 am

Hello teh,
I'm glad you were able to figure out the different eggs. Do you see any ants around or on this plant? Ants farm aphids for their honey dew.

teh · Mon Mar 26, 2012 8:43 pm

pow wow wrote:Hello teh,
I'm glad you were able to figure out the different eggs. Do you see any ants around or on this plant? Ants farm aphids for their honey dew.

Yes I was soo happy to be able to finally differentiate the two.

Yes there are ants around my plants which lead me to the findings of aphids on my plants. Also saw an ant attacking the ladybug larvae have to separate them and kill the ants to protect the good guys.