Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Greetings,

This fall our house was attacked by lady bugs. The side of the house was covered by them. I saw a few actually make it in the house and I threw them back out.

For some reason, maybe since I recently purchase an UVB light, I have notice several lady bugs wandering around in my RES tank. Upon closer inspection, I noticed several sets of lady bug wings in the bottom of my tank.

Anyone know if these extra little snack will hurt my RES?

-Ravon

I always heard they were slightly poisonous, or at least bitter-tasting. They actually ooze blood as a defense. I'd try to minimize them falling in the tank if you can.
(there's some sort of rumor in my area about the asian ladybugs having some sort of nasty bite or something but I think the blood is the only part you have to worry about.)
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

Yea,

They smell bad..kinda noxious when they shoot that yellow stuff out. Goes perfectly well with their red-black warning coloration. If the turtles learn not to eat them after a nasty taste, then nature has served its purpose. =)

But I personally think they're cute as hell. Like miniature turtles....

Johnny

They're only cute in quantities UNDER 100.
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

Hey Meret, I heard a rumor about those asian ladybugs too. I heard that they secrete a poison all the time, and if a human contacts them, the person will die. When I heard it I did some research on it and it was a myth. But the funny thing is, on my way to work that day, I was viciously attacked by a rogue ladybug who flew right in my eye and almost made me crash my car.
I wonder... hehe
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Coastal Carpet Python 0.1
Albino Burm 0.1
Columbian RedTail 0.1
Kenyan Sand Boa 1.0
Common Snapping Turtle 1.1
RES 1.0

I didn't even do research... They were all over the place at work, and someone said they were deadly, so I picked one up and yelled BITE ME! BITE ME!.... he didn't, so I never got to prove them wrong. I was just betting on the fact that I'd never heard of a badly venomous or poisonous beetle. Bugs worry me a bit more, but beetles don't really have piercing mouthparts, AFAIK.
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

If you built a pond and put your turtle in there, more than likely he would eat what ever he could get his little chomppers on (like lady bugs, water bugs, crickets...). I agree with prefrence of taste. If your turtle doesnt like their taste then he wont eat them. I would try to keep them out of your house though, because all lady bugs bite (that is why they are called bugs, to annoy you) and it stings like crazy (especially the light orangish/red colored ones).

I`ve always captured and played with ladybugs, all my life... I mean, they`re supposed to be the cute, harmless bugs. I`ve never been bitten...

Hmm...are we talking about the same type of "bug" here?

As far as I know, the ladybugs in N.America (~1 cm) all eat aphids, scale insects, and other pests...that's why gardeners order supplies of them from biological companies to treat their crops. Their cousins, the potato beetles, are trouble however.

I don't think they can bite to pierce the skin of normal humans. I've always let them run all over my arms back and forth without getting a single nip. And they don't have stingers. They do smell wicked tho...

Johnny

It's true, I was bitten by several lady bugs this summer. My kids kept telling me they were biting and I did not believe them. I had never been bitten before...and then it happened! It really hurt.

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegallery/lady/

Coupla pictures of our famous/infamous beetle...=)

I hope i never encounter one that bites. Some people may mistaken june bugs, japanese beetles, or some other beetle for ladybugs.

Johnny

Ohh..they do have sharp lil hooks on their legs that grab ahold of ya sometimes that can hurt a bit. It'll pinch some skin alright..heheh.

http://durmebugs.tripod.com/vandurmeexterminating/id21.html

MOre interesting info.

Johnny