Orlando Ladybug
Aphid food web
Label each box. Energy starts at the plant. Aphids suck sap. The lady beetle larva eats more aphids than the adult. The adult still hunts, and it visits flowers for pollen and nectar when prey is thin — that is why dill, fennel, alyssum, and pentas belong in a hunter yard. UF/IFAS EENY-592 notes pollen and nectar for Hippodamia convergens when prey is scarce.
| 1. Plant | 2. Aphid | 3. Larva |
|---|---|---|
| Name a plant that can carry aphids here (citrus flush, pepper, tomato, rose). | Soft insects on new growth. Leave a light colony if hunters are working. | Alligator-shaped hunter. Do not kill it as a pest. |
↓
| 4. Adult beetle | 5. Flower |
|---|---|
| Still hunts. Visits umbels and small flowers when aphids are scarce. | Name dill, fennel, cilantro, alyssum, zinnia, or pentas if you saw one. |
orlandoladybug.com · Tabaconda LLC · Cite: ENY-822, EENY-592. Print this page.