US NSF - Now Showing: The Lost Ladybug Project

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The Lost Ladybug Project

image of a ladybug on a plant

Help discover why ladybug species distribution is changing across North America! Over the past twenty years, native ladybugs that were previously common in certain areas have become rare, and have been replaced by large numbers of nonnative ladybug species. Now, "The Lost Ladybug Project," based at Cornell University, invites citizens to help researchers determine the reasons behind this shift. To find answers, citizens send photographs of ladybugs to a Website for species identification by scientists. Children, adults, teachers and youth leaders are all invited to participate. The Website, part of a national database, also offers a wide selection of educational materials to get kids engaged in science and inspire an appreciation for the natural world. Materials include lesson plans and games, printable handouts, posters and bookmarks, a coloring comic book and a Lost Ladybug song.

For more information and materials, visit The Lost Ladybug Project Website.

Credit: Leslie Allee, Shelley Cox, Lost Ladybug Project, Cornell University