distinctive spots attractive colors make them unappealing predators

~~September 12, 2014~~

-Unne Bonne Education-

As some of you may know, I found “Minuscule” …. the playful videos included in several posts. Seems to me a found a “little treasure”. I find them so amusing and cute!

“As it appears in …. “

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minuscule_(TV_series)

“Minuscule — the private life of insects is a French-made series of short video animations giving “a bird’s eye view of insects’ day to day existence, distorted through a burlesque, yet poetic lens”. The characters are computer-modeled in 3D and set against natural scenery. Each animation has a self-contained and usually humorous story line.

The audio is a combination of genuine insect and ambient recordings with artificial sound effects. The various protagonist insects often perform anthropomorphic activities, displaying ironically portrayed intelligence, enjoyment and, sometimes, pathos.

“As it appears in … “

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/ladybug/

“Many people are fond of ladybugs because of their colorful, spotted appearance. But farmers love them for their appetite. Most ladybugs voraciously consume plant-eating insects, such as aphids, and in doing so they help to protect crops. Ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of aphids and other plant-eating pests. When they hatch, the ladybug larvae immediately begin to feed.

Ladybugs are also called lady beetles or, in Europe, ladybird beetles. There are about 5,000 different species of these insects, and not all of them have the same appetites. A few ladybugs prey not on plant-eaters but on plants. The Mexican bean beetle and the squash beetle are destructive pests that prey upon the crops mentioned in their names.

Ladybugs appear as half-spheres, tiny, spotted, round or oval-shaped domes. They have short legs and antennae.

Their distinctive spots and attractive colors are meant to make them unappealing to predators. Ladybugs can secrete a fluid from joints in their legs which gives them a foul taste. Their coloring is likely a reminder to any animals that have tried to eat their kind before: “I taste awful.” A threatened ladybug may both play dead and secrete the unappetizing substance to protect itself.”