Animal Life Cycle Report

The ladybug life cycle is a 4-stage process called complete metamorphosis. It begins as an egg. Female ladybugs lay their eggs in clusters or lines of 10-15 on the underside of leaves, and can lay up to 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. This placement of laid eggs is to protect the eggs from being eaten by predators as well as weather. Ladybug eggs look like tiny yellow jelly beans. After about 4 days, the eggs hatch and the larva will come out and look for tiny mites or aphids to eat, which hopefully is close by if the mother ladybug laid her eggs in a good spot close to food. If they are unable to find food, they will feed on any infertile ladybug eggs from the cluster of eggs. The young larvae look sort of like tiny alligators—with long bodies and exoskeletons and bumpy skin. After a few days of lots of eating during its first instar, the larvae begin to molt (shed their skin) because they have grown too large for their cuticles. After molting, the larva is in its second instar. Usually ladybugs go through four instars (larval stages) before they begin to pupate. When it is ready to pupate, in which it begins resembling a shrimp, the ladybug attaches its tail to a leaf or other surface. During the 3-12 day time span in spends attached to the leaf, its body is undergoing metamorphosis. Special cells called histoblasts direct this process, breaking down the larva’s body and changing it to an adult ladybug. When metamorphosis is complete, the larva’s skin will break open and the new adult will emerge. They do not look like normal ladybugs, however. For a while, they have a soft exoskeleton which makes them vulnerable to predators, but after a few days that will harden. Their exoskeleton is pale and is a yellow/pink color at first, until...

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