Why do ladybugs play dead ??

Question

my 7th grade class did an experiment on ladybugs bugs our question was what makes them play dead?-because of predictors so we did a few test..

1. screamed at it -didn't play dead

2. put it in a jar n shook it-played dead

3. blew on it - didn't play dead

move it back n forth rapidly- played dead

so can they hear????

HELP HELP HELP

Answer 1

~ both the things you did that you thought the were "playing dead". well you actually killed them.  

Answer 2

I never saw one play dead unless it was dead. It's a wonder you all didn't kill it by shaking it around and moving it back and forth rapidly. That seems kinda mean for a class project.  

Answer 3

Ladybugs can lay up to 1,000 eggs in there lifetime and they live for 2-3 years!! I guess there just tired !!!

Answer 4

Screaming at it and blowing on it would be the same thing – pushing air over it like the wind.

But treating it roughly would be the same as a predator. And a way for it to be left alone would be to play dead. Most of its predators, other than opportunistic feeders would want it to be alive.

Now – wouldn’t you play dead if a giant had you in a jar and was shaking the living daylights out of you?

Wouldn’t you think, “If I pretend I’m dead, maybe it’ll go away?” Well so did the ladybird.

And I agree with the others – YOU KILLED THEM !!!!!

I think your teacher needs a talking to. What an animal. What a sociopath.  

Doesn’t he/she know that teaching children to be mean to animals can cause them to become serial killers when they grow up?

I know that won’t happen to you………………

Most insects (if not all), crustaceans, turtles (chelonians), worms and many other animals do not ‘hear’ the way we do. They ‘hear’ with sensory organs that register vibration. They have to ‘feel it’ to ‘hear it’, so to speak. They are even able to detect many variables through the vibrations they detect, such as the size of their predator, its distance from them and so on (think of some others on your own).

Another observation you should have made – was when they were playing dead, they also withdrew their appendages (legs, antennae, etc.) so they couldn’t be bitten off by the ANIMALS (you) they thought, were going to eat them. They pulled their legs and antenna under their protective ‘shell’ (exoskeleton).    

And they were vibrating like crazy when they were getting knocked around by you and your classmates.

Now DON’T DO THAT AGAIN.

Go find as many ladybirds as you can and give them a tender little kiss and release them by GENTLY placing them on a plant.

Now go on the Internet and do some research about insect antenna and other sensory organs in the animal kingdom used to ‘hear’ other than ears. And research what insects do to prevent detection.

Now I hope you know I am joking when I am scolding you but you will learn a great deal of information about the ladybird's (and other insect) behavior by researching – ‘insect sensory organs’, ‘insect camouflage’, ‘what insects use to prevent detection’ and ‘insect defenses’.

Now get to work ;-)