will ladybugs eat ants?

But are Ants a threat to Ladybugs? and what happens when they meet? I’ve seen this with my own eyes, and for the purpose of this article, I’ve been investigating it further. Hopefully, through research and my general knowledge, I’ll be able to answer your questions.

No, Ladybugs do not eat or attack Ants. Ladybugs and Ants normally clash over aphids. Ladybugs eat them and Ants farm them. Ladybugs usually ignore Ants when targeting aphids. but will hunker down in defense when confronted. Only when numerous Ants attend will a Ladybug move away, or fly off. But why not attack?

So that begs the question…

No, not generally, Ants are mainly scavengers and nectar-eating insects. They chase off Ladybugs from their aphid farms. However, they cannot usually do this alone. Often, there’s a power struggle and only when there are sufficient numbers of Ants do they manage to scare away Ladybugs. Let’s look at this further

Ants are one of those creatures that most of us try to avoid. And actually many insects feel the same way, Ants evolved from wasps during prehistoric times when flowering plants became more prevalent. They’ve survived through maintaining highly organized groups and adapting to their surroundings.

Ladybugs have survived since the same time, through smart defense mechanisms, the ability to fly, and good availability of food resources.

So who would win an Ant and Ladybug showdown? Well neither, but at the times when they meet, neither is particularly interested in ‘defeating’ the other.

They’re just interested in either protecting aphids and mealybugs – or eating them. The outcome of each meeting largely depends on the dynamics and numbers involved.

So as the outcome of each encounter can differ, we need to understand more about the motivations of each party, the kind of insects they are, and the dynamics of each encounter.

Often it’s about the motivations and circumstances of when Ladybugs meet Ants. So the real question might be – what are the possible outcomes?

Ants and Ladybugs are not enemies, they do not actively predate each other and, for both, the other is more a nuisance than a major threat or a potential meal.

They’ve existed for a million years alongside each other and each has been able to survive with minor scuffles occurring more than any major conflicts.

Ants maintain a number of mutually beneficial relationships with insects/bugs, some of those being Aphids and Mealybugs.

Aphids and Mealybugs suck the sap out of the stems of plants and flowers and produce (excrete) honeydew, this nectar-rich resource provides food for the Ants. In return, ants will protect aphids and Mealybugs whilst they are feeding.

Ants have even been known to carry aphids around with them when moving nests in order to carry on this activity.

On the flip side, Aphids are one of Ladybug’s most favored foods. They will hunt them voraciously, as well as mate and lay eggs close to aphid colonies as a continuous food supply for them and their offspring.

They will eat up to 5000 aphids during their short lifespan and have been recorded eating up to 475 in a single day.

Show me more Amazing Facts about Ladybugs

It’s mainly around these colonies/food sources that Ants and Ladybugs are likely to meet.

The short answer is no, Ladybugs do not predate Ants and have no interest in them. Ants are simply something that is either around when they want to feed or something that stands in their way of food. One or two they can generally handle. Any more and they’ll probably look to make an exit.

Find Out What Else Ladybugs Eat

Ants will only really meet Ladybugs under two scenarios. Both can have very different outcomes. In general, an Ant’s response is generally more reactive, than proactive.

When anything walks within striking distance of an Ants nest, the Ants will automatically see this as a threat. Being so organized they will have a rapid response available to them in the form of calling on large numbers of Ants to help repel or kill the invader. A Ladybug will not intentionally go through an Ants territory, but it happens.

If Ants feel threatened, they will attack out of defense. It’s down to the Ladybug to sense where she is, assess any threat, and try to evade capture or prevent being overwhelmed.

Often Ants are more dispersed when tending Aphid farms and there are fewer of them. Being mainly along the stems of flowers makes it difficult for large numbers of Ants to be in one spot at a time.

Ants will often allow the Ladybug so much space to conduct their feed, but will inevitably try to hassle and attack the Ladybug to chase them away – if they feel the Ladybug is threatening their ‘Aphid operations’.

In the instance a Ladybug is overwhelmed with numbers, tucking her legs in, laying low, and relying on her tough shell to defend her becomes less of an option against numerous Ant pincers. In this instance, ants will attack and try to kill the ladybug. Plus they’ll then most likely take it back to the nest as food.

If the ants are able to get under the Ladybug’s hard outer shell (elytra) they will use their strong pincer jaws to try and bite the Ladybug, as well as potentially spray formic acid into the underbelly of the

Ladybug. In so doing, if enough of them get a good enough grip, then the Ladybug may succumb to their attack or may need to find an urgent escape route.

Also, being overwhelmed with Ants means there’s less chance for them to use their best defense, which in this case is the ability to fly away. In order to do that they must lift their elytra – which reveals their prone soft wings and soft body even further to attack.

So to fly away they need adequate space and time to ‘deploy’ their wings and go.

Some ant species are more naturally more aggressive than others, some are larger and some have different attack mechanisms, so again these factors need to be taken into account.

Most of the time, ants will aim to scare away Ladybugs from their food source or seek to defend their home territory. Again, their response is more reactive than proactive.

Find out the 5 Ways Ladybugs Protect Themselves.

Although more reactive, most insects can often sense when another insect is in trouble. Ants are particularly good at being able to bring down a lame or injured insect and may seize the opportunity for a quicker and easier kill.

Ants will eat Ladybugs, they just do not generally target them, so again it depends on the nature of the encounter and available options for each, numbers, location, etc.

It’s also fair to say as Ants are mainly scavengers, they’ll likely eat most things that have recently died. If an Ant, therefore, comes across a recently deceased Ladybug, it may well carry it back to the nest for food.

The scenario for this plays out much the same as for Ladybugs, except that Ladybug Larva – despite being larger, has no tough outer shell.

Ladybug larva will generally choose their location for feeding more wisely, they’re less likely to feed on Aphid colonies that are being well tended by Ants and Ants are more easily able to overwhelm a Ladybug Larva.

These circumstances only arise when talking about Ladybugs and Ladybug larva encountering Ants. We have to remember that not all aphid or Mealybug colonies are turned into Ant farms, some will just exist on their own without any Ant protection.

Whether Ants are present or not, Aphids and Mealybugs will still do what they need to do to feed.

To find an aphid or mealybug colony that is not farmed by ants is an ideal scenario for a Ladybug, they can feed freely and are far less likely to be harried by ants, or eaten by Ladybug predators.

Aphids and Mealybugs are soft-bodied creatures with no defenses. Ladybugs eat mostly Aphids and Mealybugs as they can easily chew through the protein-rich bodies of the Aphids – and can take their pick of the juiciest ones!

They’ll also not always eat the entire aphid. When there are so many around to choose from, they’ll often eat the main soft body part and leave the rest. They also do not generally eat their legs.

It’s really surprising how all these dynamics and the balance of nature works. And to think too that most of this is unseen, yet in summer certainly, this kind of encounter happens all around us. I’ve seen it a number of times. It’s only now that I intend to film when this next happens so that I can add it here for reference.

I hope this has been useful, it’s likely you’re looking at an encounter right now and wanted to find out more. I’d also like to know if you’ve seen this happening and what the outcome was. OR, what would you like to see as the outcome of such an encounter?

Be sure to check out my Ladybug Resource Page for some great Ladybug-related educational materials, as well as specially curated gifts of protection and other Ladybug aspects.

Despite their genteel name, ladybugs (Coccinellidae) are surprisingly lethal predators in the average backyard. However, despite their appetite for small insects, these small spotted beetles do not eat ants. Ladybugs and ants are rival kingpins of the garden and are known for their clashes over resident aphid populations that the ladybugs eat and the aphids farm for their honeydew.

In this article, we will explore the ladybird diet and the good work they do against pests in your garden.

We will also take a look at the feud between ladybugs and ants and see which species gets the spoil of aphids and other garden pests.

It is hard to miss the conspicuous display of a ladybird on bark or leaves in your garden.

The bright red or yellow spotted carapace or the gentle way in which it crawls along your hand do give the impression that you are dealing with a little lady of a bug.

But ladybirds are ardent carnivores and will even predate smaller members of the Coccinellidae family.

Here are some of the species that are on the ladybug’s menu:

There is also evidence that at least some ladybird species are omnivorous or even herbivores with certain species even becoming plant pests.

Alternatives: When food is scarce, ladybirds have been demonstrated to eat pollen, nectar, honeydew and certain species of fungi.

Ladybirds have highly adapted mouthparts that they use to detect, kill and consume their prey.

Ladybugs have mouths that consist of lips (upper labrum and lower labium), serrated, pinching jaws capable of chewing and grasping.

In addition, they use maxillary palps to sense and taste their food.

Aphids and other sap-sucking insects are not only a feast for ladybirds but also a bounty for ants as they rely on mealybugs, aphids and scale insects for a steady supply of honeydew.

This is an exceptionally sweet excreta that is forced out of mealybugs and other plant pests as they feed on plant sap that is under pressure.

For the ants, this is a treasured food source and ants will make a significant investment of their energies in assuring that the golden liquid continues to flow.

The honeydew is force-fed by worker ants to replete ants that simply exist to store the sugary solution in their engorged abdomens!

Any ladybird expecting to feast on scale insects and other honeydew producers may find themselves having to contend with a defensive line of ants that guard and care for the aphids, even transferring them from disease plants to healthy ones when they have overwhelmed them with feeding.

Did You Know? Ants will readily attack and even kill ladybirds that try to disturb their “farm”. Though ladybirds can hold their own, ants have a nasty bite that can inject formic acid into the ladybug, killing it.

If you are looking for a solution to infestations of sap-sucking insects causing plant diseases like powdery mildew, ladybugs provide an effective means of control.

You can even buy ladybirds in garden centers that have been specifically bred for pest control. Known as the convergent lady beetle, it is distinguished by the converging white lines on its thorax.

When released into a pest-rich environment, these ladybugs will get to work on controlling aphid populations that are present.

However, their effectiveness will depend on the number of ladybirds that are released and the quality of the beetles used. In addition, any ants that are protecting and spreading the infestation will also need to be controlled.

Ladybirds are welcome garden guests or even residents, due to the good work they do in eating aphids and other sap-sucking insects that can ruin your plants.

If the supply of aphids is available they will stay and breed on them, only leaving when their numbers dwindle.

Ants are definitely not on the ladybug menu and can be a real hindrance if you want to experience the beneficial effects of ladybugs in controlling the pests in your garden.

Ladybugs tend to be one of the more tolerable insect types. To some people they are viewed as cute, even when caught lingering around the home. Ladybugs are often admired for their round bodies, orangish-red coloring, and of course, their black spots. They certainly do not have that creepy factor that many people associate with other insects or spiders.

However, when it comes to the animal and insect world, cute appearances don’t always translate into tame diets. In other words, adorable looking creatures often make a meal of some pretty nasty things. Cats eat mice, beautiful birds eat worms, and list goes on.

But, what about the diet of ladybugs? We will take a look at what they eat and specifically if they eat ants.

Ladybugs do not eat ants. However, it is not unusual for ladybugs and ants to come in close contact. Ladybugs commonly eat aphids (more on this below). Certain ants, on the other hand, are attracted to aphids because of their sweet tasting waste material called honeydew that they eat. You can likely see how this can create a conflict between ladybugs and ants. One wants to eat the aphids where the other wants it alive to continue to produce waste.

Since some ants rely on aphids for their sugary waste material, they provide protection for the aphids. This often means ants must battle predators, such as a ladybugs, in an attempt to ward them off. The University of Wisconsin-Madison notes that certain ants will go the extra mile to protect their aphid food source. This can include ants building shelter for aphids or even transporting them to another plant when the plant’s sap runs dry [3].

The video below shows the extent ants will go to protect their aphid food supply. The bigger ladybug has a difficult time defending itself against a group of ants.

As indicated above, the preferred food of many ladybugs are aphids. Aphids are tiny bugs that feed off the sap of plants. Their feeding behavior can damage or kill vegetation. Ladybugs are a welcome site for farmers looking to control aphid infestation. Ladybugs will eat a large quantity of aphids, but aphids reproduce so quickly that ladybugs alone often are not enough to completely eliminate the problem [1].

You can purchase ladybugs online to reduce the population of aphids in your home garden. These Clark & Co Organic live ladybugs are an example of ladybugs that can be shipped to the home for aphid control. A single ladybug can eliminate up to 50 aphids a day without harming plants. Over a lifetime, one ladybug can eat up to 5,000 aphids [2].

However, not all ladybugs are the same in regard to their diet. Depending on the species of ladybug, they may feed on plants, whiteflies, mildew, mites, mealybugs, and several other types of of insects.

Ladybugs are actually an insect that can be beneficial in a home in limited numbers, of course. House plants can have aphids just like outdoor vegetation. Adding ladybugs on indoor plants can help solve an aphid problem. This is especially true since the ladybugs will likely not have to contend with ants or other bothersome creatures in the comfort of your home. You have to be certain to only introduce ladybugs that eat aphids since certain ladybugs do eat plants or aren’t interested in a diet of aphids.

Of course, most people do not invite ladybugs into their home. They typically find a way inside during the fall as they seek warmth for the cooler days ahead. They rest during the winter months and awaken to look for a way outside as the warmer days of spring roll around. Ladybugs aren’t the type of insect that will do structural damage to a home or cause harm to humans or pets. However, if one enters the home, you may have many since others can be attracted by pheromones produced by the ladybug(s) inside [4].

Do not smash ladybugs since they contain a substance that has the ability to stain. It is best to leave them until they can make their way outside to be a benefit to the garden. If this is not ideal for you, vacuuming them up is often the best option. Other options include live traps or pyrethroid insecticides.

References:

Not all ants kill ladybugs, but most ants can and do kill ladybugs.

It comes as a surprise to people when they find out that ants kill ladybugs. Ants usually prey on insects that smell sweet rather than insects like ladybugs.

However, ants kill ladybugs because there is often a power struggle between the two. Don’t worry, we’ll explain what this means in further detail below:

Ants do not actively prey on ladybugs but will only attack them when they cross their path as they eat aphids. As aforementioned, there is always a power struggle between ants and ladybugs because the ladybug preys on aphids who have a symbiotic relationship with ants.

If ants get into the hard shell of the ladybug, their strong mandibles bite into the skin and cause it harm. While the upper part of the ladybug remains protected because of the outer shell, ants can also attack from the underside, which is soft.

To escape from the ant attack, the ladybug will spread its wings and fly away. However, the wings then reveal the soft part and make it easy for the ants to attack.

In addition, when some ants bite, they release formic acid in the ladybug, which is toxic and kills it.

Ants and ladybugs get along and have been surviving in the same habitat all these years. Both insects are not sworn enemies of each other.

However, ants will attack and eat a ladybug if their source of food (aphids, mainly) is under threat.

Ants and ladybirds will usually keep at a safe distance. However, there are special circumstances when ants would attack a ladybug that has been preying on aphids.

Aphids are little insects that attack trees and leaves. Ants and ladybugs both enjoy consuming aphids because they leave behind sweet nectar.

Ants can store this nectar and therefore capture herds of aphids. The ants then nurture the herd of aphids, even resorting to nipping their wings off so they cannot fly.

Then, the ants encourage the aphids to produce sweet nectar by licking or tickling them – often referred to as milking them.

A ladybug consumes a lot of aphids and can destroy them. Therefore, ants do not take kindly when a ladybug shows up and attacks aphids. Ants have to protect the aphids and, therefore, will attack the ladybug.

Another reason why ants will attack a ladybug is when it lands in their nest. When anything comes near the ant’s nest, they will feel threatened.

In a nest, it will take no time for the ants to come together and fight with the ladybug.

In addition, ants can sense when another insect is injured or physically weak. Therefore, if ants come across a weak or injured ladybug, they will not stop attacking it. Ants are good at attacking injured insects and are always looking for an opportunity for an easy kill.

Ants will not target ladybugs to eat except only in special circumstances as they are opportunistic hunters. However, ants are mostly scavengers and prefer eating insects or things that have died.

When ants see a dead ladybug, they will not hesitate to bring it back to the nest to feed on it.

Different kinds of ants will feed on honeydew from aphids. These ants store the honeydew and then feed it to the worker ants until the abdomen distends. When the ants need honeydew, they will summon the worker and stimulate the abdomen to release sweet food.

Ants have learned this behaviour on an individual level.  Different types of ants store honeydew in this way, and here are some of them:

Carpenter ants are commonly found in North America and store honeydew from aphids.

The honey pot ant also stores honeydew and is found in a brownish-yellow colour. They tend to be found in arid, dry and hot conditions such as desserts.

Don’t worry, this ant is unlikely to be found in the UK… Yet! Argentine ants are an invasive species and are spreading globally, however.

It comes as a surprise when people find that ants can kill ladybugs. However, ants are not active hunters of ladybugs and will not go out of their way to kill one.

It is only when a ladybug attacks aphids are when ants attack it. This is because aphids and ants have a symbiotic relationship. Ants like the sweet nectar that aphids excrete nurturing packs of aphids and protecting them from ladybugs.

Ants can attack ladybugs from the underside, which is soft. Moreover, honey ants also release a toxin that kills ladybugs.

In addition, when a ladybug opens its wings to fly, it becomes more vulnerable to attacks. Ants will attack a ladybug in groups, and an ant alone will not attack a ladybug and cause no harm to it.

When ants see a dead ladybug, they will take it back to the nest to feed on it.

If you were asked to think of one insect you don’t mind, which one would you choose? Surely most of you would choose a ladybug. Ladybugs are small cute insects that don’t do any harm so we don’t have to look for a way to get rid of them. On the contrary, ladybugs are believed to bring good luck! It’s time to get to know these little creatures a little bit better.

Aphids are the most common food for ladybugs. Gardeners love to see them in their garden because they know that ladybugs will eat most aphids and may not even have to spray their garden to get rid of these pests. If you do not have ladybugs in your garden, you can buy them to prevent aphid infestation. To note, one ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids during the day and up to 5,000 in its lifetime. In addition to aphids, ladybugs feed on plants, mites, molds, whiteflies, and other insect species.

No, ladybugs don’t eat ants but there is contact between these two types of insects. Aphids attract ants because of the honeydew they produce which ants eat and ladybugs eat aphids and that leads to conflicts between them. Ladybugs want to eat aphids and ants want to preserve them. Besides this, there are no other links between ladybugs and ants. Ants protect aphids due to their sugary waste material. They fight other predators that try to eat aphids, including ladybugs. Ladybugs don't have much of a chance against such fighting ants. They will not even defend themselves when they encounter a swarm of ants that protects aphids but will fly away to another place. In fact, there would be no winner in that ‘conflict’. Ladybugs are not hostile to ants, they only have different interests.

In two cases:

1 - When a ladybug lands in an ant nest

When ants sense that something has approached their nest, they will consider that insect a threat and will try to remove it from their vicinity. The ant's attack to defend themselves and it is up to the ladybug to try to escape because otherwise, the ants will trample the ladybug.

2 - When the ladybug approaches the aphids guarded by ants

As aphids are found on a leaf, not all ants can be exactly on the leaf. Therefore, the ladybug will be able to eat aphids but ants will disturb it. If the ladybug stays on their list for a long time, the scenario described under number one could happen.

When ants attack a ladybug, there should be as many of them as possible to bury the ladybug. They drag the ladybug's legs and try to kill her and if they succeed, they will take the ladybug to the nest and eat it. In addition to retracting their legs, ants bite the ladybug and disperse formic acid. The only way for a ladybug to survive that attack is to fly away in time.

Ladybugs will not cause any damage to your garden or home. In the garden, they will be useful because as we have said, they eat aphids. If you have plants in the house, then you can keep ladybugs in the house for the same reason. Just be careful to include those ladybugs that eat aphids because some species do not feed on aphids. Also, don’t worry, they won’t cause problems for either you or your pets. But still, be careful with the number of ladybugs you ingest because they emit odors that can attract other insects and you don’t want them.

If a ladybug still shows up in your house without you wanting it, don’t kill it. Let the ladybug come out on its own and help your garden by eating aphids. If this is not possible, then vacuum the ladybugs, do not crush them. They contain substances that can contaminate the place where you kill them.

• Other insects such as beetles, caterpillars and flies.
• Spiders, such as black widow spiders and jumping spiders.
• Snails and other hard-shelled organisms.
• Snakes.
• Fish and lizards.
• Birds, such as sparrows, grouse and starlings.
• Mammals, such as bears and coyotes.