This lady bug swarm video from the mountains above Boulder, Colorado got popular in 2010, but the kids hadn’t seen it until this weekend and loved just how colorful this particular swarm was.
Lady bugs or lady birds are beetles and can be found in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Malta, and in parts of Canada and the US. According to wikipedia, there are over 5,000 species of them, with more than 450 of those in the United States. As examples, check out these two galleries of their diversity: one from the UK and one of Coccinellidae in India.
There’s also details about their anatomy here. Take special note about how their colorful casings pull up to reveal soft dark wings underneath.
This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.