Ladybug Meaning & Symbolism & The Ladybug Spirit Animal

Ladybug meanings and symbols include talent, protection, healing, evolution, luck, and grace. Also known by the name of ladybugs or ladybugs, there are 6,000 species of ladybugs that are dear to people around the world. Therefore, the ladybug appears in the folklore and mythology of many cultures. In addition, those who are particularly fond of these insects consider the ladybug spirit animal as their own. And many more people are curious about the spiritual meaning of ladybugs.

In this post, you will learn about ladybug meanings, symbols, mythology, folklore, the ladybug spirit animal, and more.

What do ladybugs mean?

talent Protection cure evolution Luck Gracefulness

Detailed ladybug symbols and meanings

Fourteen-spotted ladybird (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata). Photo: Lars Willighagen.

What does it mean when you see a ladybug or when one lands on you? When a ladybug announces its presence to you, whether in real life, through the media, art, or otherwise, pay attention. There are no coincidences. Ladybugs are seen around the world as positive omens and lucky charms. Here are some details about ladybug meanings and why they could mean something in your life:

Ladybug Symbolism: Talent

Loved by gardeners, farmers, children and others, the ladybug is a talented insect. First off, like bats, they are extremely efficient at consuming insects, many of which are considered pests. For example, an adult ladybug can eat about 23 herbicide aphids per day. And their late-stage (“baby” ladybugs before the pupal stage, which is the last instar before they become a full-fledged ladybug) larvae can consume about 230 aphids per day. Because they’re so good at eating pesky insects, ladybugs are an ideal form of natural pest control.

In addition to beneficial insects, ladybugs have another talent: they can act. The ladybug has been known to play dead to trick certain predators that prefer to eat live insects.

Finally, the ladybug is a real eye-catcher in the garden with its unmistakable crimson carapace and ornate dots. But ladybugs don’t just have red spots with black spots. The 6,000 species of ladybugs come in a variety of colors and patterns, including yellow, orange, and brown, as well as striped, solid, and other patterns.

Because of her special gifts, the ladybug is a symbol of talent. If the ladybug is one of your spirit animals, you are being reminded to use your unique gifts and abilities.

Each of us comes into this world with natural abilities. Furthermore, we all acquire skills and experiences from the things we go through in life. This combination of your natural gifts and your experiences is your secret sauce. As the saying goes
“Your wealth is what you do with what you have.”

The tiny ladybug reminds us that even with limited resources and simple actions, one person can make a huge difference in the world.

Protection

The ladybug’s beautiful shell protects its wings so it can fly when needed. Additionally, like the brightly colored poison dart frog, the ladybug’s bright color warns predators that they could be poisonous if eaten. In addition, when the ladybug plays dead, it can shed a small amount of blood through its legs, producing an odor that turns off potential predators.

Although they are tiny, the ladybug can protect itself well. Therefore they are protective symbols. They remind us to protect those and things we love as much as ourselves.

Protection can extend to caring for people who are at risk in our lives, such as children, young people, the elderly, pets or our significant other. It can also mean protecting ourselves.

So when a ladybug calls you, it can also be a sign to be more vigilant when it comes to taking care of your loved ones and yourself. This can be in the areas of health, personal limits, self-esteem or creative ideas.

While the ladybug may seem like a tiny life form, there is universal wisdom and protective power within its small domed bodies.

Ladybug Symbolism: Healing

Orange Asian ladybird (Harmonia axyridis). Photo: Kaldari.

Because they play such an important role in protecting plants and therefore our food supply, ladybugs are also symbols of healing. In fact, in ancient folklore, it was believed that ladybugs carry diseases away.

When the weather turns cold, ladybugs hibernate, finding safe places in logs, holes, under leaves, and elsewhere. The ladybug understands the power of rest to regenerate.

With its ability to keep plants healthy, including supporting food crops, the ladybug is a reminder of our own body’s wondrous natural power to heal and regenerate.

In this way, the ladybug shares synergies with the hummingbird, which helps keep plants alive through pollination and is therefore also an auspicious symbol of healing and well-being.

In addition, ladybugs in shades of orange are very special symbols of healing, as the color orange is associated with the second or sacral chakra, which plays an important role in health and vitality. Therefore, like the monarch butterfly, the orange dragonfly, or even the tiger lily flower, orange ladybugs are powerful symbols of healing.

evolution

Ladybug larvae resemble tiny alligators. Photo: Sophie Cat.

Ladybugs go through a miraculous transformation in their lives. After hatching from eggs, they enter a larval stage where they molt four times while growing out their skin. Thus, like the snake, the ladybug symbolizes regeneration as they shed the old to make way for the new.

During its larval stage, the ladybug takes on a shape that resembles a tiny alligator. Maybe it’s just coincidence or the wondrous way patterns repeat themselves in nature, but alligators are also symbols of transformation and regeneration.

As the ladybug goes through various stages to become a full manifestation of itself, it reminds you of your own power to evolve in your life. Using change as an opportunity so that your spirit develops and you grow personally in this life is very important to the ladybug.

Ladybug Meaning: Luck

Ladybugs are symbols of good luck and prosperity all over the world. First of all, when farmers see a lot of ladybugs in the spring, they see it as a sign that there will be a bounty harvest.

Additionally, two colors that ladybugs appear in, red and gold, are symbols of wealth and prosperity.

Ladybugs are also associated with an auspicious number – the number 7. Sometimes called “C-7,” the ladybug species Coccinella septempunctata is known for its bright red skin and seven black spots. The number 7 is special to many people because it occurs in nature and human culture in important ways, from the seven colors in the rainbow to notes in the chromatic scale. You can read more about the number 7 in my post about the seed of life.

When a ladybug calls you, see it as a reminder that the world is full of limitless possibilities just waiting for you to meet them.

Gracefulness

According to legend, ladybirds or ladybugs got their name from European farmers when they faced an onslaught of pests that were destroying their crops. The farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary to protect their crops, and soon ladybugs appeared on the stage to devour the pests and save the farmers’ crops. So the farmers began to call the special beetle the “Beetle of Our Lady”. Eventually, the name evolved into ladybugs, ladybugs, and ladybugs.

Due to their association with Mary or the goddess and healing, ladybugs are also symbols of grace. Whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs, the importance of grace goes beyond them. A symbol of grace, the ladybug reminds us to vibrate at our highest levels. We do this through elegance, forgiveness and kindness.

Ladybug Spiritual Significance

Large leaf-eating ladybird on a potato leaf (Papuaepilachna guttatopustulata). Photo: Mark Marathon.

Aside from her many positive symbols, the ladybug also has some spiritual meanings. Here are some of them:

Dead ladybug meaning

What does it mean when you see the meaning of a dead ladybug? Is it a bad omen? From an ecological point of view, the sight of dead ladybugs can be an indicator of toxins in the environment. For example, certain chemical poisons that people use to kill aphids in their gardens can also kill ladybugs, or at least their eggs and larvae. Therefore, opting for non-toxic, natural pest control—even more ladybugs themselves—may be a better option.

However, if you see a dead ladybug every now and then, it could be that it simply died of natural causes, as ladybugs only live about two to three years. However, ladybugs have also been known to play dead to avoid predators, so you may actually be looking at a ladybug that isn’t actually dead.

From a spiritual point of view, it is important that you honor a dead ladybug or other insect or animal. This can be as simple as a prayer or respectfully burying their body when you know they are indeed dead.

This is because many psychics and mediums say their spirits are interested in what happens to their earthly bodies when humans or animals die. This is why so many cultures around the world have spiritual traditions of honoring the bodies of the deceased, whether through burial, cremation, or some other tradition.

If you find a dead ladybug, don’t take it as a bad omen. Instead, you can see it as having been chosen to honor their life and spirit through prayer, meditation, or otherwise.

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