Lost Ladybug Project-fun for your little entomologist. Help Cornell University

Calling all bug enthusiasts! Cornell University needs your help locating and photographing ladybugs in your community as part of their Lost Ladybug Project. According to their site "Over the past twenty years several native ladybug species that were once very common have become extremely rare. During this same time several species of ladybugs from other places have greatly increased both their numbers and range. In many areas the native ladybugs are being replaced by exotic ones. This has happened very quickly and we don't know how this shift happened, what impact it will have and how we can prevent more native species from becoming so rare."

"To be able to help the nine spotted ladybug and other ladybug species scientists need to have detailed information on which species are still out there and how many individuals are around. Entomologists at Cornell can identify the different species but there are too few of us to sample in enough places to find the really rare ones. We need you to be our legs, hands and eyes. If you could look for ladybugs and send us pictures of them on Email we can start to gather the information we need. We are very interested in the rare species but any pictures will help us. This is the ultimate summer science project for kids and adults! You can learn, have fun and help save these important species." Check out the link for more information on how to capture, photograph and submit photos to Cornell University.

The site also includes some findings submitted by people and some great links to other insect related resources, games and printables. We like Save the Roses game where you get to help a ladybug help a rose by munching up all the delicious aphids. We were tickled that the ladybug lays eggs that hatch and you get to then feed the larva.

Link: http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/icb344/Lost_Ladybug...