When Your Ladybug Larvae Arrive
Your larvae arrive in a mailing container that you need to open immediately. The shipping tube contains your ladybug larvae, some folded paper strips, and ladybug food. The enclosed food is more than sufficient for the larvae to completely develop through pupae and into adult ladybugs.

Remove the magnification cap from the Ladybug Land®. Take the pipette and put a few drops of water onto the felt sponge in the middle of the crater. You’ll want to keep the sponge moist throughout your ladybugs’ lifecycle – ladybugs love high humidity – but if you see standing water on the sponge, you’ve added too much!
Next, shake the ladybug larvae and food from the tube into your Ladybug Land® being careful to keep the ladybug food away from the sponge. If some larvae stay within the tube, give the tube a tap or two with your finger to dislodge them. They’re tough little insects, so the jostling won’t hurt them. Now, replace the magnification cap.

Don’t let your ladybug larvae get too hot, or allow the Ladybug Land® to sit in direct sunlight. For instance, you’d never want to leave it on a window sill, outdoors, or in a car.


The Ladybug Life Cycle: Egg, Larva, Pupa, Adult
Ladybugs, like the Pink Spotted Ladybugs in your Ladybug Land, start life as eggs. Ladybugs lay their eggs on the underside of leaves, in groups of 10 to 15, usually near a food source like aphids or mites. The eggs are yellow or orange, and shaped like a capsule.

When the eggs hatch, the larvae grow quickly and constantly search for food. Your larvae will shed their skins, or molt, several times as they grow. And they’ll grow quickly! They must eat a lot to store energy for the change that they’re about to undergo. Don’t worry, in the Ladybug Land, they have plenty of food.

Soon, your ladybug larvae will attach themselves to the undersides of the Ladybug Land dome to begin the pupal stage of their lives. From here, they’ll spend a few days protected by an outer covering while they change shape within. The pupa may appear to be doing nothing, but many changes are taking place inside! While they’re in this pupal state, make sure that you have some raisins ready for their emergence as adults.

After approximately 5 days, adult ladybugs will come out of the pupae. At first, the adults will appear soft and pale, but after a few hours their exoskeletons will harden and their colors will brighten.

Feeding and Watering Tips
For Your Adult ladybugs
Once your ladybug larvae have undergone their metamorphosis into adult ladybugs, get 1 or 2 raisins. Soak them in water for about 5 minutes. Blot them dry on a paper towel. Now cut them in half and drop them into the Ladybug Land. This should keep your ladybugs fed for about a week. If and when the raisins disappear, put one more in as before. If you have pesticide-free plant leaves with aphids on them, you can put these into the Ladybug Land. Ladybugs love to eat aphids.

Use the enclosed pipette to drip two to three drops of fresh water onto the watering pad inside the Land’s mountain crater every other day. This will give the ladybugs some extra water to drink. Don’t overwater! Don’t add too much – the ladybugs don’t need a pond! Standing water can drown the ladybugs and cause mold to develop. Just keep the sponge moist. If you see that the watering pad is moist, skip a day of watering. If you see fog, condensation, or water droplets form on the sides of the Land, do not add any water until it’s dried up.

Ladybug Activity: Ladybug Observation
Some ideas as you look closely at your ladybugs:
1. Look at one of your ladybugs and write in your journal what you can see using just your eyes.
2. Now look again using the magnifying lens. Write down the additional details you can now see.
3. Draw pictures of your ladybugs – be sure to try to draw views of the side and underside as well as the top view!
4. If you find a dead ladybug, take a careful look at her and write down any observations you can make.
See more ladybug activities at www.insectlore.com/activities.

Releasing Your Ladybugs
Take the Land outdoors, remove the dome, and let your ladybugs fly. If you want your ladybugs to stay in your backyard or garden, the morning is the best time to release them there. Make sure the daytime temperatures are above 55 degrees before releasing. During winter, keep them in the Land for their lifespan.


If you have any other questions, contact Insect Lore by:

• Phone: 661-746-6047 8am-4pm Pacific Time
• Fax: 661-746-0334

or email us at customerservice@insectlore.com 24 hours.