They're tiny, they're speckled -- and they're disappearing.
Many native species of ladybugs are vanishing, and citizen scientists from all over the nation, including kids, are helping professional scientists survey the entire country by collecting ladybug specimens, photographing them and e-mailing the pictures to Cornell University.
The project, The Lost Ladybug Project, has about 4,000 volunteers and is directed by Cornell University's Dr. John Losey.
Losey said that in the late '70s and early '80s, scientists began noticing that native ladybug species were disappearing and that foreign species were taking over in some places. He said knowing why that's happening is important, because ladybugs are voracious predators that eat insects that attack food crops.
"And there weren't enough scientists to go out to all the different places where these ladybugs could be. And so we wanted to recruit people from all over the country to help us look," he said.
The idea of using citizen scientists to assist the program was born, and it has paid off.
Elementary school teacher Gail Starr has submitted more pictures than anyone else, and she's found quite a few rare species.
For Starr, ladybugs are her hobby and her passion, and for the last three years, she's enlisted her students to help in the search.
Both Starr and Losey hope that exposure to projects like this will encourage young people to consider science careers.
Sixth grader Jason Hepperle said he finds the project very interesting and very fun.
Quotes
"Without ladybugs out there doing their job, we could not grow the food and fiber that we need. So they're absolutely essential for us to be able to practice agriculture in the way that we do now." -Dr. John Losey, The Lost Ladybug Project.
"With all these young people and their parents out there looking for these ladybugs, they have been able to find a lot more than the scientists and in a much shorter period of time. And it just means a lot of hands and a lot of eyes out there can really do the job." -Dr. John Losey, The Lost Ladybug Project.
Warm Up Questions
1. What is a citizen scientist?
2. What is an ecosystem?
3. Why are insects important to an ecosystem?
Discussion Questions
1. How are young people helping professional scientists in the hunt for ladybugs?
2. Why is it important for kids to participate in these types of science-related programs?
3. Would you like to participate in "The Lost Ladybug Project"? Why or why not?
4. Do you think projects like these make kids more excited about science?
Additional Resources
