Ladybug
(Adopted 1974)

Lady or Ladybird Beetles are familiar to everyone as "ladybugs". Their popularity is well deserved, as they are among the most helpful insects. Of the 400 North American species, only 3 feed on plants. Most of the rest devour vast quantities of agricultural pests such as aphids and scale insects. They are released by the thousands in crop fields and orchards. Both adults and larvae are predators, and they will eat all stages of soft-bodied insects. The name originated in the Middle Ages, when these beetles were associated with the Virgin Mary.