The ladybird - beneficial to agriculture

Ladybirds are familiar insects, easily recognised by adults and young children thanks to their typical shape and bright colours and because from an early age these children learn about them creatures through books, rhymes and stories that abound in Malta and many parts of the world.  

There are more than 5,200 species of ladybird worldwide. The name originated from one particular species, the seven spot ladybird which is the most familiar species in Malta and in the rest of Europe. Wherever it occurs this particular species has many names many of which are tied to Christian beliefs and mythology. 

One author lists 329 common names for the ladybird from 55 countries of which over 80 refer to the Virgin Mary and more than 50 are dedicated to God. The red colour base is said to represent Our Lady’s cloak and the 7 black spots her 7 joys and 7 sorrows. In German the ladybird is commonly known as Marienkäfer (Marybeetle). In Italy it is sometimes known as “gallinelle del Signore" or "gallinelle della Madonna". Contrarily one Italian name is 'galineta del diavolo' or 'the devils chicken'. Other names include the Swedish Himelska nyckla or 'the keys of heaven' and the Cherokee 'great beloved woman'.

In Malta the ladybird also has several names many of which are known by only a handful of people and are at risk of being lost and forget unless they are collected and recorded. The most common name is nannakola. Kola might be referring to San Nikola (Saint Nicolas). A quick look at just one local dictionary turns up several other names and variations including barbażjola, barbaxiħa, sebbellika, bellika, sebella, żebbellika, żabbetta, żzabbettina, żejba and żeppellina.

In Malta as elsewhere the ladybird is also popular in childrens’ rhymes. Maltese children learn from an early age the stanza starting with Nannakola tmur l-iskola

In the English speaking word it is

Ladybird ladybird fly away home,

Your house is on fire and your children all gone.

All except one whose name is Anne

Who hid herself under the frying pan.

Teaching children about these insects through rhymes was important as it taught them from an early age to love these insects which are beneficial to agriculture as they helped to control agricultural pests.

I am presently compiling information about ladybirds and other insects including names and tradition and would like to receive more information about the subject. 

Anybody having such information is kindly asked to contact me an email at portelli.paul@gmail.com.

Of gourd ladybirds and the squirting cucumbers

Many species of animals and plants are closely linked together. In some cases the relationship benefits one species only and in others both species benefit from the relationship. 

This relationship often means that if one species had to disappear the other would not be able to survive on its own and would cease to exist as well. 

One such relationship is that existing between the squirting cucumber (faqqus il-ħmir) and the gourd ladybird (nannakola tal-faqus il-ħmir).

The squirting cucumber is a common plant with large leaves and yellow flowers. The fruit are oval and when ripe they shoot out the seeds. The seeds emerge with such force that they can land up to one metre away from the parent plant thus helping the plant to disperse. 

The squirting cucumber grows in disturbed habitats along country lanes and in urban areas.

Whenever you find a squirting cucumber you are also likely to find the gourd ladybird. This species of ladybird spends its entire life on the squirting cucumber. Ladybirds are known to be predators. 

Most feed on insects especially aphids but I have never seen this species eating other insects. I have often seen the adults in the flower of the squirting cucumber probably eating pollen. 

Adult ladybirds often carry a sprinkling of pollen on their wings which indicates that they could be transferring pollen from one flower to another thus aiding pollination.

The eggs are laid on the plant and the larvae spend their entire life on it. I have not found any literature on the life cycle of this species but I have seen small parts of the surface of the leaf on which a larva of this ladybird is living eaten away which indicates that the larvae feed on the leaves on which they live.

My observations indicate that the relationship between these two species is beneficial to both species. The plant provides the food for the larvae and adults while the adult ladybirds help to pollinate the flowers. 

This article was published in The Times on 16.11.11

A true predator kills and eats another organism

In ecological terms predation is described as the interaction whereby one organism feeds on its prey. Predators may or may not kill their prey before eating them but the end result is beneficial to the predator and harmful to the prey. This has led to selective pressures on one another which have lead to an evolutionary arms race between the predator and prey resulting in various anti-predator adaptations.

Predators are usually classified by the way they feed and the way they interact with their prey. A true predator is one which kills and eat anther organism. It may hunt actively for its prey or sit and wait for it to approach within striking distance. Some predators such as the lion kill larger prey which they dismember and chew while others like dolphins eat their prey whole. Some predators like snakes poison their prey to subdue it or kill it before eating it.

Prey species have evolved several ways to avoid being preyed upon. One common form of defence is aggression. The electric eel uses an electric current to kill prey and to defend itself from other predators. Others animals use their tusks, horns and hoofs to defend themselves.

An interesting form of defence, common in birds, is mobbing. This is when animals attack and harass a predator to drive it away. This can be seen in many species of birds such as gulls which attach predator, including men, when these get anywhere near their nests.

Some animals are camouflaged to avoid being seen while others are brightly coloured and do not bother to hide themselves. Their colouration is recognised and remembered by predators as a danger signal and are left alone. These animals such as the ladybirds, wasps and the caterpillars of the spurge hawkmoths, are usually poisonous or bad tasting.

The humped crab spider is an aggressive predator that lives on flowers with which it easily blends. It prefers the large yellow flowers of the crown daisy, which are now in flower. It lies motionless in wait for an insect to land on the flower and then catches it with its forelegs. It bites it to inject a poison and holds on to it until it is paralysed or dead before it starts to suck its body. 

This article was published in The Times on 20.01.2010