Massachusetts State Insect: Ladybug

The ladybug, (Adalia bipunctata,) was adopted as the official state bug or insect symbol of Massachusetts in 1974 thanks to a campaign that began in 1974 by a second-grade class in the town of Franklin. Also lady beetle, ladybird, ladyfly, etc. Most common in the state is the Two-Spotted Lady Beetle, (Adalia bipunctata.) Its head is black with pale yellowish margins; elytra reddish, with two black spots.

It helps farmers by controlling insect pests, especially aphids. In folk medicine, ladybugs were believed to cure various diseases such as colic and measles. In folk medicine ladybug beetles were used to cure various diseases including colic and the measles.

Massachusetts State Insect : Ladybug

The Coccinellidae are a family of small beetles, ranging from 0.8 to 18 mm. They are commonly yellow, orange, or red with small black spots on their wing covers, with black legs, heads and antennae. Coccinellids are known as ladybugs in North America, and ladybirds in other areas. Coccinellids are found worldwide, with over 6,000 species described. Entomologists in the United States widely prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as these insects are not true bugs.

Characteristics of the Ladybug

Adults

Adult two-spotted lady beetles are 4-5mm long, and ovoid in shape. The head and thorax is black with yellow markings. Their undersides are black to reddish-brown; Their elytra (wing covers) are orange with one black spot on each side. The larvae are elongate, with soft bodies, and are black with yellow and white spots (they look a little like tiny alligators) (Marshall 2000, Milne & Milne 2000).

Defense

Bright colors generally indicate that the insect is armed and dangerous! In this case the ladybird is advertising it's bitter taste. When handled the ladybird will exude drops of pungent fluid which stain the hand and taint it with a long-lasting smell.

Reproduction

Females deposit bright yellow eggs on the underside of leaves and other locations near potential food sources for the larvae. Pupae are black with yellow dots and are found hanging from leaf surfaces. Adults in the North live through the winter; there can be more than one generation in a year.

Behavior

Adults overwinter in large groups under logs, leaves, and bark. They occasionally enter buildings by accident, looking for a sheltered place to hibernate. If they get into a heated house they may be doomed, as the warmth keeps their metabolism going, and they may use up their fat and water reserves before spring.

Feeding:

As with most in this family, ladybirds will eat huge numbers of aphids in both the larval and adult stages

LARVA: carnivorous, aphids

Some Facts About Ladybugs:

The Ladybug Story: A Story About Lawmaking
Published by William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Tours and Government Education Division
State House, Room 194
Boston, Massachusetts 02133
Telephone: 617-727-3676
updated 10/97

This is a true story of how a second grade class helped to make a new state law. It shows how anyone with a good idea can change the world a little bit. I hope you enjoy reading it and understanding how rewarding the legislative process can be.

William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth

This is a true story about Ms. Pamela Johnson's second grade class at the Kennedy School in Franklin, Massachusetts.

One day, Ms. Johnson told the class that, by law, there is a state bird - the chickadee - and state tree - the American Elm - and a state fish - the cod.

"What about a state bug?" somebody asked, "do we have one?"

"No," said the teacher.

"I think there should be a state bug," said one little boy.

"I think so too," said a little girl, "and I think it should be a ladybug." All of the children agreed.

"What a good idea," said their teacher. "Maybe our class can make the ladybug the state bug. Maybe we can help make it a law!"

All of the boys and girls began to talk excitedly. They agreed that they would like very much to try. It would take a long time, the teacher told them, but in the end it would be worth it.

The class learned that everyone who lives in Massachusetts has the right to give legislators, the men and women who make the laws, ideas for new laws. This right is called the right of free petition.

So Ms. Johnson wrote to the State House, the capitol building in Boston, and in a few days the class received a petition form. They wrote their idea about a state bug on the special form.

Then, Ms. Johnson told them, they would have to get their petition signed by a legislator. She explained that there are two kinds of legislators: representatives, who speak for one or two towns, and senators, who speak for several towns. They found out that their town, Franklin, has its own senator and its own representative. So the children wrote to their representative.

He wrote back to say that he would be glad to sign the petition.

After their petition was signed, it began its long journey to becoming a law.

The class decided to find out everything that would happen to their petition on its journey and make sure to be there when anything important happened along the way.

First, their petition had to become a bill. The House Clerk in the House of Representatives takes care of this. He read their ladybug petition and gave it its own number, H.5155.

Then, he had to decide which of the committees in the House of Representatives to send the bill to. Different committees study different kinds of subjects. When the House Clerk picked the right committee, he had copies of the bill made and sent to all of the senators and representatives on the committee, so they could study it.

Meanwhile, at school, the children in Ms. Johnson's class were busy making ladybug costumes to wear when the time came for them to visit the State House. They wanted to show everyone there how much they really cared about making the ladybug the official bug!

When the class heard which committee was studying their bill, they wrote to find out when their bill would be "heard." A committee has a public hearing for each bill it studies. At a hearing, anyone can come and say why he or she thinks a bill should or should not be made a law or passed into law.

On the day of the public hearing, Ms. Johnson's second grade class dressed in ladybug costumes got on the yellow school bus and rode all the way to Boston to the State House. They walked inside the enormous building with the shiny golden dome and into the room where the hearing was being held. They wanted to testify - to tell the legislators about their idea.

When it was their turn, some of the boys and girls stood up and told the legislators why they thought it would be a wonderful idea to make the ladybug the official state bug.

"They're so beautiful with their shiny orange backs and bold black spots," they said, "and they can be found in everyone's backyard."

The committee listened very carefully while the children explained how they felt. Then the committee had to decide what to tell all the legislators, who would later vote on the new idea. You will be glad to hear that the committee told the House of Representatives that they believed the ladybug bill should be passed into law! The class was very happy.

A few weeks later, Ms. Johnson's class got back on the school bus and headed for Boston. It was the day that all of the representatives were going to discuss the ladybug bill for the first time.

This time the class went to the beautiful chambers of the House of Representatives. They stood high up in a balcony where they could see and hear everything that was happening.

The class found out that there are three readings of every bill before a final vote can be taken. So between the three readings, the class visited some of the representatives in their offices and wrote to others to ask them to vote for the bill.

The House of Representatives voted for the ladybug bill, and then sent it to the Senate to be read and voted on again. The children once again returned to Boston and this time they sat in the gallery of the Senate chamber to hear the Senators talk about the ladybug bill. The Senate also liked the bill and wanted it to be made into a new law. The children cheered!

Now the bill was printed on very special paper called parchment and sent back to the House of Representatives for a final vote called enactment. Soon, the Senate also did the same.

At last, the bill could go to the governor. If he agreed that the ladybug should be the state bug, he would sign the bill. The governor agreed! He invited Ms. Johnson's second grade class to be there when he wrote his signature on the bill.

They all wore their best clothes and piled once again into the bus to make the last, familiar journey to the State House in Boston. They walked up the grand staircase to the governor's office and watched as he signed their bill into law.

They were very proud.

And that is how the ladybug came to be the official state bug of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Law

The law designating the lady bug as the official Massachusetts state insect or insect emblem is found in the General Laws of Massachusetts, Part 1, Title 1, Chapter 2, Section 12.

PART I. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT.
TITLE I. JURISDICTION AND EMBLEMS OF THE COMMONWEALTH, THE GENERAL COURT, STATUTES AND PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
CHAPTER 2. ARMS, GREAT SEAL AND OTHER EMBLEMS OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
SECTION 7.

Chapter 2: Section 12 Insect or insect emblem of commonwealth

Section 12. The lady bug shall be the insect or insect emblem of the commonwealth.

Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
    Subphylum: Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class: Insecta (Insects)
Order: Coleoptera (Beetles)
    Suborder: Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
        No Taxon: (Series Cucujiformia)
Superfamily: Coccinelloidea
   No Taxon: (Coccinellid group)
        Family: Coccinellidae (Lady Beetles)
            Subfamily: Coccinellinae
Genus: Adalia
Species: bipunctata (Two-spotted Lady Beetle)

Massachusetts State

State Insects (ALL)

Massachusetts Symbols

Massachusetts State Insect

Ladybug

(Adalia bipunctata)

Adopted in 1974.