Questions and Answers about Centipedes, Ladybirds and Butterflies

Centipedes

• How do centipedes breathe? Centipedes do not have lungs like humans do. Instead, they breathe by taking air in through several holes along the sides of their bodies. Inside the body are many tiny tubes that deliver the air to all of the internal organs. Question from California.
• Do centipedes have predators? Centipedes do have predators. These include other centipedes, spiders, birds and reptiles. Question from Ohio.
• Do centipedes only eat meat, or do they also eat plants? Centipedes are predators, so they only eat meat. Question from California.
• Do Centipedes have skin? Centipedes do not have skin like humans. Instead their skeleton is on the outside of their bodies and forms the 'skin.' Centipedes and insects are the opposite of humans. Humans' skeleton is on the inside. Insects' (and centipedes) skeleton is on the outside. Question from Ontario CA. Do spiders usually hurt people? There are thousands of different kinds of spiders. Only a few can hurt people. These include the black widow and brown recluse spiders.
• Where do centipedes live? Most centipedes live on the ground among the dead leaves, or under rocks or tree bark.
• How do centipedes reproduce? Centipedes reproduce by laying eggs, usually in the soil. There are many different kinds (species) of centipedes. In some species the mother just leaves the eggs where they are laid. In other species the mother stays and protects the eggs.
• How do centipedes move around? Centipedes move by walking and running. They are kind of flat, so they can move well under rocks and logs.
• Do Centipedes have ears? I don't think centipedes have ears, but they can probably 'hear' by feel vibrations in the ground through their legs, or through the air using their antennae.

Ladybird/Ladybug

• Where can you find ladybirds? Ladybirds live where their food lives. They feed on aphids and aphids feed on plants, so you will find ladybirds mainly on plants. Question from Florida.
• What do ladybirds drink? How do I get aphids-also, how do you find ladybugs?Ladybird beetles obtain moisture while they are eating their favorite food, aphids. In addition, they drink the dew that forms on plants. You can find aphids on many types of plants in the spring and summer. Look at the parts of the plant that are succulent and actively growing. If you can collect the whole plant. If the plant starts to wilt, the aphids will die or leave. The best place to find ladybirds is among the aphids. Usually you will find the ladybird larva feeding on the aphids. The ladybird larva looks like a tiny alligator. Question from England.
• Does a ladybird beetle have and internal or external skeleton? Ladybird beetles, like all insects, have their skeleton on the outside. This is the opposite of humans which have their skeleton on the inside. Question from Stockport.
• What do Ladybugs eat? Ladybugs eat other insects. They especially like to eat aphids. Many times aphids feed on and injury plants in our garden, so we say that ladybugs are 'good' bugs because they eat the pest aphids. Question from Lakewood, OH
• Does a ladybird beetle have a symbiosis with anything? What about an ant? Firefly? The large majority of ladybird beetles are predators that eat other insects. I don't know of any symbiotic relationships. Question from Georgia.

Butterflies

• How do butterflies reproduce? A butterfly reproduces by laying eggs, usually on the leaves of the plant that the larva will eat.
• Do butterflies bite? Butterflies cannot bite because they do not have 'jaws.' Instead, butterflies have a long tube that sucks up nectar from flowers. Question from Knaresborough.
• How many legs do butterflies have? Most butterflies have six legs when they are adults. However, when they are larvae (caterpillars) they have six true legs and up to 10 prolegs. Question from California.
• How do butterflies move around? Butterflies move around several ways. When the butterfly is a larva (caterpillar) it mainly moves by walking. Although some caterpillars can let a long thread of silk carry them up into the air. When a butterfly is an adult it is able to walk and fly. Question from New Orleans.
• How do Monarch butterflies see, hear and feel? Monarch butter flies see using their eyes. There eyes are quite different than ours, but they can see just fine. Monarchs probably do not hear very well. They may perceive sound as ground vibrations through their legs, or very loud sounds may vibrate their wings. Monarchs can feel in many ways. They can 'feel' with their antennae and legs, and they also have sensitive hairs on their bodies that can feel something touching them. Question from Georgia.