Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay... one more odd bug feeding question. Ladybugs? Before I get beated with pothos vines (hehe) for my "cruelty" to pretty bugs, I'm really only asking because my order of praying mantis eggs will be coming with about 1,500 free ladybugs. I'm kind of at a loss with what to do with all of them! I'm going to have to go buy another tank just to house them. If they're bad for chameleons, well I guess there will be one big swarm of lady bugs in FL! (unless that's bad to do as well) lol

lady bugs are toxic - period. A general rule of thumb is that orange/black/red combinations in nature are toxic or at the very least taste bad. Most are toxic, others are mimics (e.g. Viceroy butterfly has similar markings and coloration of monarch. Monarch are toxic, so birds won't eat them, but the Viceroy is just "faking" it - it has served it well! Don't ya just love Mom Nature??)

As for getting all those ladybugs...I am assuming you ended up ordering from a garden/nursery catalog/site? Both mantis and ladybugs (among others) are sold as beneficial insects b/c they eat lots of "pest" insects. Mantis will eat ANYTHING, including beneficial insects, whereas LB are a bit more discerning. Among their favorites are aphids, whiteflies, mealy bugs, scale insects, etc.

Many of the marketed LB are an Asian species that were introduced to the US for “pest” control. Well, they have gotten out of control! Here in the north our houses are often invaded by these in the fall as they seek a suitable place to spend the winter. In Asia they go into caves and cliff walls – here, our houses are the closest representation. A sad irony is that some native LB (including NY’s 9-spotted LB) are actually be impacted by the introduced species.

Since you are not going to feed these to any of your herps, therefore you could release them – BUT, my suggestion (just a suggestion – it’s up to you) would be to contact the company you got them from and ask what species they are (though they should have that marked on the container or info) then call your extension office to inquire about releasing. I do not believe they are banned in any state but they be trying to control – or they may say “go for it!”

Here is a site with LB info from the FL Extension Service
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_IN327

And if you are interest...here is a link to an article about the 9-spot that is endangered. OK, lesson over

lele
The Decline of C-9 — New York’s State Insect

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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Makes a lot of sense! I knew I should have payed more attention in 4-H. Spent over 6 years in it... would think that I would have at least remembered the whole bright colored bugs = bad to eat. lol The type of ladybugs that I'll be getting at the Hippodamia convergens. I don't believe they are the asian type as those are also sold but much more costly. I'll give a call to the extension office (aka 4-H here). Thanks!

Good, the H. convergens naturally occurs in FL. so it wouldn't be a problem to release them. If you garden at all (or have friend gardeners you could give some to) here is the best way to release them so they will stick around for a bit: put in fridge to slow down and in the early morning or evening after a rain, or water the garden, gently shake them out. If you don't care about the garden thing then just open up the box and send them on their way!

btw, interesting that they sell the Asian LB for more $$$ - it is counter-intuitive.

lele
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Mind if I ask where were you able to obtain praying mantis eggs from. Please leave me a link if you have one. Just to let you know I live in Michigan and can only get them during the summer months but they are far and few between, when obtain I've never seen my panther go after something so fast. Them and Kadedid's!

Thanks - Thomas

Link for Praying Mantis or
http://gardeningzone.com/cgi-bin/gardeningzone/RPMEC.html?id=ytMDVYJ7&mv_pc=56

I ordered only 3 egg cases. With shipping it was about $14. Not bad for maybe 300 praying mantis and 1,500 ladybugs. LOL What am I going to do with all these bugs?!?! If anyone is in the central FL area and wants any, just let me know and I'll contact when they arrive/hatch.

I love how you are full of such useful wonderful information. Your enthusiasum is to be admired. hehehe

Send some of those Ladybugs my way, FisherCham, as they're supposed to be good luck if they land on you...not that I'm superstitious or anything...at the very least they're cute! OH...that reminds me...naughty naughty for wanting to feed them to your chams...just kidding! haha

Kristen
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1.1 pygmy leaf
1.1 carpet
1.0 jackson
0.0.3 red eared sliders

Hey - where ya been???? How are all the "kids"???

>>I love how you are full of such useful wonderful information. Your enthusiasum is to be admired. hehehe
>>
>>Send some of those Ladybugs my way, FisherCham, as they're supposed to be good luck if they land on you...not that I'm superstitious or anything...at the very least they're cute! OH...that reminds me...naughty naughty for wanting to feed them to your chams...just kidding! haha
>>
>>Kristen
>>-----
>>1.1 pygmy leaf
>>1.1 carpet
>>1.0 jackson
>>0.0.3 red eared sliders
-----
0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Hey! I've been around...just reading mostly, but not posting much. Kids are great...two-legged and 4-legged included. hehe

Hope all is well!

Take care
Kristen
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1.1 pygmy leaf
1.1 carpet
1.0 jackson
0.0.3 red eared sliders

i still see alot of the ny ladybugs around, especially on my rose and tomato plants...hey lele, what do you think the odds are that anoles could survive a ny winter??...i found a place on the island over the summer that had dozens of them running around..the story is that they "escaped" from a now defunct pet store..i don't know when this happened but there were lots of anoles, more than a petstore would carry...what do you think??

that italian lizard is pretty established in Nassau County...can't remember it's exact name

there are lots of different species. It's the 9-spot Coccinella novemnotata that is in peril.

Anoles on LI...hmmm I certainly wouldn't think so, not only the temp, but what would they eat thru the winter? I would assume that store closed last spring at the earliest. To bad the little ones probably froze, but you know what - they are probably better off rather than in a pet store

What italian lizard? (other than an ex boyfriend of mine - LOL!!)

>>i still see alot of the ny ladybugs around, especially on my rose and tomato plants...hey lele, what do you think the odds are that anoles could survive a ny winter??...i found a place on the island over the summer that had dozens of them running around..the story is that they "escaped" from a now defunct pet store..i don't know when this happened but there were lots of anoles, more than a petstore would carry...what do you think??
>>
>>that italian lizard is pretty established in Nassau County...can't remember it's exact name
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

here...check it out....the story is that a pet store truck overturned back in the 60's and they established themselves around the garden city area (guess they liked the ritzy part of town)

http://www.newsday.com/other/special/naturalworld/ny-nw-italianwalllizard,0,286931.story

interesting...I was still ther in the 60's & 70's...

I did a little more research and found this:
www.bioone.org/bioone/?request=get-abstract&issn=0045-8511&volume=002&issue=03&page=0836

>>here...check it out....the story is that a pet store truck overturned back in the 60's and they established themselves around the garden city area (guess they liked the ritzy part of town)
>>
>>http://www.newsday.com/other/special/naturalworld/ny-nw-italianwalllizard,0,286931.story
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

hmmm...doesn't look so good for those anoles but i'll go back there in the late spring just out of curiosity...it gets harder and harder to find wildlife on the island though i have seen a mink, weasel and the ospreys are doing much better...what really has made me happy though is the return of the hawk from eastern nassau all the way out to montauk

Hi Lele,

Would there be any reason not to feed the baby praying mantises to the cham? We don't have any of these insects in Vermont and I think it would be cool to have a few in a vivarium. My husband and I often do "reptile shows," in which we also bring hissing cockroaches; praying mantises would be a great addition, I think!

But I don't want to be stuck with 200 of them, either. LOL So what do you think? Potential cham food? If not, I'll just release them into our garden this summer.

Julie