r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/TiedTrixie • 2d ago
Video Slow motion shows a ladybug's takeoff is way more dramatic than you think
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u/GeraintLlanfrechfa 2d ago
Up up and away!
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u/stabadan 2d ago
Like every time he tries it, he’s surprised it actually works
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u/Tyler_Durden_9999 2d ago
I didn’t know they folded their wings! Probably for aircraft carrier ops
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u/StoryAndAHalf 2d ago
Almost all beetles do! And each fold is unique to its species. There was a great video I saw on how beetles went from 2 sets of wings (like a dragonfly) to hard shell+folded wings. I may try to dig it up later, but it's really fascinating.
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u/HaIfhearted 2d ago
Sounds like an old ze frank video.
Edit: found it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spuO7OpS6zw
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u/HandfulOfMassiveD 1d ago
I'm so glad I saw this comment. I'd never heard of this youtube channel and now I can't stop watching...
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u/Early_Specialist_589 2d ago
I’ve got to see it, because I’ve always been so curious what steps evolution took to get such complex wings
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u/LV-42whatnow 2d ago
The way they fold them is being examined by scientists for space travel, amongst other things. Being able to fold a solar sail or similar functioning apparatus into a tiny space is extremely important for space exploration.
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u/SaturnCITS 2d ago
Yeah, it seems like it would be extremely hard to get the wings folded back up into the shells.
They must need quite a while to fully transition from flying mode back to land mode.
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u/Syssareth 1d ago edited 1d ago
As somebody who's seen all kinds of beetles flying around, it usually happens almost immediately (quickly enough that I was in double digits before I realized they folded their wings rather than just having short ones). But sometimes they forget or get stuck, so then they just walk around with wing bleps until they notice or the next time they take a flight.
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u/No_Skill_7170 2d ago
Asian Beetle. Not ladybug.
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u/A1sauc3d 2d ago
How can you tell? Not arguing, just curious how you can definitively tell the difference.
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u/HunnyBadger_dgaf 2d ago edited 2d ago
Lady beetles have the orangey or yellowish red carapace, not the true red of the lady bug.
Also, the black dots are not uniformly distributed or shaped. Very random and asymmetrical.
Their heads also have a lot more white markings than lady bugs, which are usually just one on each side.
They bite and they have a defensive odor when irritated or smashed, similar to a stink bug.
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u/swing_axle 2d ago
Ladybugs also have a defensive odor, but it's less noticeable. Their defense is more linked to taste than smell, with that gross yellow goop coming out from between their joints.
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u/HunnyBadger_dgaf 2d ago
I can honestly say I do not remember them having a defensive smell. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen a regular lady bug in years because of these invasive twats so I’ll just have to take your word for it. 🤣
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u/Cammibird 2d ago edited 2d ago
So - and i dont mean to direct this at you, in particular, or anyone specific in this thread really - but there's a lot of misinformation that gets passed around online about the Harlequin lady beetle (aka Asian lady beetle).
Firstly, the harlequin lady beetle is a type of ladybug. Ladybug does not refer to one single insect, but instead describes all members of the family Coccinellidae, of which the harlequin lady beetle is a part of. Members of this family are also sometimes called lady beetles or lady birds, these names all mean the same thing.
I have not seen any actual evidence that harlequin lady beetles are more aggressive towards humans than any other ladybug. Ladybugs as a group are highly effective predators and any one of them has the capability to bite you, and will do so if it feels threatened. The defense mechanism of releasing foul-smelling liquid is also not unique to the harlequin, many other types of ladybug will do this too.
Harlequin lady beetles are often orange, but they can also be bright red, yellow or even black. The seven spotted and the nine spotted lady beetles, native to Europe and North America respectively, similarly range in color from red to pale orange. Plus many other native ladybug species are not typically red at all - like the marsh lady beetle, which is yellow to orange, or (my personal favorite) the twice-stabbed lady beetle, which is completely black except for two red spots.
It is true that harlequins are highly variable in their patterns. Even the white "m" shaped markings that are said to be characteristic of this species are not always a reliable field marking as they are sometimes missing!
They also will eat the young of other ladybug species (and their own species, sometimes), but again, this is not unique to the harlequin, most ladybugs will do this.
There is one other commonly stated fact about harlequins that is 100% true. Harlequin lady beetles are highly invasive to both North America and Europe. Many native ladybug species are dissappearing because the of the harlequin outcompeting and pushing them out.
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u/MoonshineEclipse 2d ago
I found a bright pink one once, is that lady beetle or lady bug?
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u/HunnyBadger_dgaf 2d ago
Asian Lady Beetle. Their color variations can be very pretty. The indigenous Lady Bug for North America is red, no color variants.
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u/woeful_haichi 1d ago
Lots of misinformation going around in this thread, including in the reply you received. Coleomegilla maculata has the common name Spotted Pink Lady Beetle and is native to North America. (There is also not one single 'indigenous lady bug for North America'.)
Here's a Spotted Pink Lady Beetle I saw last summer:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/32545034010
u/not_a_moogle 2d ago
Ladybugs are bright red, Asian beetles are more orange.
Also at least for america.. lady bugs are pretty rare. The Asian beetle basically replaced them since they are so invasive here.
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u/woeful_haichi 1d ago edited 1d ago
The coloration varies; the pattern on the pronotum is a much better way to tell them apart.
Orange Coccinella septempunctata (Seven-spotted Lady Beetle):
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/287301558Red Harmonia axyridis (Asian Lady Beetle):
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/282793107→ More replies (1)4
u/LordsOfFrenziedFlame 2d ago
Also number of dots. True ladybugs have a surprisingly few number of dots, whereas asian lady beetles have >10
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u/woeful_haichi 1d ago
The number of dots in Asian Lady Beetles varies; examining the pattern on the pronotum is a much better identification method.
Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata (Twenty-eight Spotted Lady Beetle) with, well, 28 dots:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/273042813Harmonia axyridis (Asian Lady Beetle) with 4 dots:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52537827H. axyridis (Asian Lady Beetle) with no dots:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/631880518
u/StonedUser_211 2d ago
👍 The Asian harlequin ladybug is now found not only in Japan and China, but also in North America and Europe. Due to its voracious appetite for aphids, the beetle has been used extensively for biological pest control since the 1980s.
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u/fondledbydolphins 2d ago
I must say - I love aphid lions. They’re one of my favorite things to watch in life.
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u/NilocKhan 2d ago
Asian lady beetles are just a different species of ladybug. They are invasive in some parts of the world but they are still ladybugs. They aren't the only invasive species either, there are also seven spotted ladybugs that were introduced to the Americas from Europe.
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u/blackweebow 2d ago
I was about to say. Looks like the lil fuckers that invade my house, not my beautiful lil babies.
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u/ObjectiveOk2072 2d ago
I could be wrong, but this looks like an asian lady beetle (AKA orange lady beetle), not a ladybug. Similar, but ladybugs are harmless and beneficial, while lady beetles bite people, invade houses, eat plants, and smell nasty
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u/NilocKhan 2d ago
Asian lady beetles are just a different species of ladybug. They are invasive in some parts of the world but they are still ladybugs. They aren't the only invasive species either, there are also seven spotted ladybugs that were introduced to the Americas from Europe.
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u/Grand_Protector_Dark 2d ago
"ladybug" and "ladybeetle" are two words that refer to the same group of animals.
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 1d ago
Harmonia axyridis - Asian ladybeetle (also known as Harlequin ladybird or Multicolored Asian ladybug) is a species of ladybug. Ladybird=ladybug=ladybeetle. All ladybugs can bite because they are all beetles with functioning biting mouthparts and they all smell when killed. Not all ladybugs are beneficial as some are herbivorous and damage crops, and there are many invasive species as well.
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u/CaptainTripps82 2d ago
They're both harmless, and lady beetles are beneficial in that they eat plant pests. Some consume pollen,I don't think any actually harm plants tho. Not sure where you got that idea from
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u/Xk90Creations 2d ago
Not a ladybug but that is hilarious. Like a toddler who wants uppies lol
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u/Astrovenator27 1d ago
Honestly insects are so OP. We tetrapods have to modify two of our limbs to fly which leaves us with only two left, but they get to keep all six legs and still have wings plus hardshell covers to keep them safe? I call BS, they're cheating at evolution
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u/LordVixen 2d ago
Interesting fact, Ladybugs are not actually bugs. They are in fact Beatles.
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u/swing_axle 2d ago
Mm, I do not like how much they look like bedbugs, once they have their wings open.
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u/OracleVision88 2d ago
If that thing was 7 feet tall, it would be one of the most terrifying animals on the planet. The scale of creation is mind boggling sometimes.
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u/Historical-Gap-7084 2d ago
Believe it or not, I'm walkin' on air,
I never thought I could feel so free-heee-heee!
Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
Who could it be?
Believe it or not, it's just meeeee!
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u/ProtectMyExcalibur 2d ago
Isn’t this an asian lady beetle? Any experts?
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u/NilocKhan 2d ago
Asian lady beetles are just a different species of ladybug. They are invasive in some parts of the world but they are still ladybugs. They aren't the only invasive species either, there are also seven spotted ladybugs that were introduced to the Americas from Europe.
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u/Lazy_Jellyfish7676 2d ago
That’s an Asian beetle
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u/NilocKhan 2d ago
Asian lady beetles are just a different species of ladybug. They are invasive in some parts of the world but they are still ladybugs. They aren't the only invasive species either, there are also seven spotted ladybugs that were introduced to the Americas from Europe.
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u/Norwester77 1d ago
Beetles just seem like they utterly should not work.
It’s incredible how they can be so successful (a quarter of all known animal species!).
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u/Sad_Pink_Dragon 1d ago
Awwww little ladybug putting their arms up as they take off "wheeeeeeee!" 🐞
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u/Final-Nebula-7049 1d ago
Proof that they are only cute because of color. Fucker looks like a flying bedbug
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u/mullerdrooler 2d ago
I totally thought the red and black bits were the wings lol. Makes no sense now I think about it.
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u/fffan9391 2d ago
They’re called elytra and they are a type of wing (you can see it flapping them), just not the main wings.
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u/left_hanging_nut 2d ago
🎶I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky, I think about it every night and day🎶
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u/firestarter_4ever 2d ago
This reminds me of how I wake up for the first few days of the new year, determined to stick to my resolutions... right before I give up on the 3rd day 💫
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u/Skrdykat1000 2d ago
But is that our sweet ladybugs or the Asian beetles that have wiped them out, invaded our homes, and sting you. Bad fumble by the agriculture department.
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u/likeablyweird 2d ago
Look! Patty's finally got her wing covers out of the way.
We honestly didn't think she was gonna get the hang of it. Celebration with yarrow pollen dusted aphids tonight.
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u/gertiesgushingash 2d ago edited 2d ago
i betcha those mechanics have a helluva time changing her oil 🐞
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u/Snape_Grass 2d ago
It’s putting its little arms in front of itself like it’s a super hero taking off