The Life Cycle of a Ladybug Read Aloud

The Life Cycle of a Ladybug by Colleen Sexton. Ladybugs are insects that live in forests and fields. There are more than 4,000 kinds of ladybugs. Each kind has its own colors and patterns. This ladybug is red with black spots. Ladybugs grow in stages. The stages of a ladybug's life cycle are egg, larva, pupa, and adult. A female ladybug lays eggs on the underside of a leaf. The eggs look like tiny yellow jelly beans. A larva grows inside an egg. The egg becomes darker as the larva grows bigger. The egg breaks open and the larva twists out of the shell. The larva rests. Its skin dries and hardens. The larva has a long body, six legs, and sharp jaws. The larva uses its jaws to eat aphids. These tiny green insects move slowly. They are easy for the larva to catch. The larva eats about 30 aphids a day. It grows quickly. Soon the larva's skin is too tight for its body. The larva molts. Its skin splits open and the larva crawls out. The larva has a new skin that fits its bigger body. The larva eats and grows. It molts again. The larva molts three times in all. The larva stops eating when it is fully grown. It sticks the tail end of its body to a leaf and curls up. The larva molts for the last time. It changes into a pupa. A case hardens around the pupa. The pupa changes into an adult inside the case. The case breaks open and an adult ladybug crawls out. Its color is yellow at first. The new adult rests for a day to let its wings dry. It changes color while it rests. The ladybug turns red and black. The ladybug opens its wings. It flies away to search for food and to mate. After mating, the female lays her eggs. The tiny eggs are the start of a new life cycle.