Why Are Ladybugs Lucky? and More

Why are ladybugs lucky? Why are they called ladybugs, anyway? Read a tale of science, superstition, and myth involving cultures and languages across Europe.

When I was little, my mom used to tell me that ladybugs were lucky. The main goal was probably to stop me from freaking out whenever I saw them (I had a phase when bugs terrified me). But the association of ladybugs and luck is an old one that spans multiple centuries and cultures.

It is such a natural association that most of us accept it without questioning. When Ty Inc. made a ladybug Beanie Baby, they named it Lucky. What else would you name a ladybug, after all?

Now it’s time to pull back the veil and learn more about these cute red beetles (yes, ladybugs are beetles). Why are ladybugs lucky, and who is the “lady” they reference? What do people across Europe call these little critters?

Why are ladybugs lucky?

We will start with the facts. First, we know that various superstitions exist surrounding ladybugs. Seeing a ladybug in your home is supposed to bring luck, and if a ladybug lands on your hand, it means you have love and prosperity in your future. If you kill a ladybug, on the other hand, bad luck will come your way.

Some people wear ladybug talismans and jewelry to bring good luck. And in many countries there are nursery rhymes and phrases to say when you see a ladybug.

But why? Why do ladybugs bring luck? We will start with a legend and then move on to a more scientific explanation.

A French Legend about a Lucky Ladybug

According to a French legend, a ladybug once saved an innocent man from execution. During the reign of King Robert II the Pious (972-1031) a man was on the verge of being beheaded for a murder he did not commit. But when he laid his head upon the chopping block, a ladybug flew up and landed on his neck.

The executioner tried to chase the ladybug away, but it kept returning. And so King Robert, a theoretically devout Catholic, declared that it was a sign from God. He spared the man’s life and from that moment on the ladybug was called the bête à bon Dieu or “animal of good God”. (And apparently the real murderer was discovered a few days later!)

Ladybugs as protectors of crops

Ladybugs, especially their larvae, are natural pest controls, for they eat aphids and other insects that harm crops. Farmers likely noticed that their crops would thrive in the presence of ladybugs, and soon the bright red beetles came to symbolize a good harvest. It’s only a small step from there to symbolizing good luck and happiness in general.

In the modern world, we still take advantage of ladybugs’ helpfulness. For instance, in 2013 New York conservationists released 140,000 ladybugs in Central Park as an ecologically safe alternative to pesticide. And back in the 1880s a species of ladybug singlehandedly saved California’s citrus industry from destruction – and set off a new era of biological control.

Most ladybugs are a farmer’s friend, with only a few species being harmful. But the friendly ladybugs far outshine their destructive relatives, and that’s why ladybugs bring good luck.

Why are ladybugs called ladybugs?

The “lady” in “ladybug” refers to the Virgin Mary, known to Catholics as “Our Lady”. According to Etymonline, the term first appeared in the 1690s. In England, people often call ladybugs “ladybirds”. Originally this meant a sweetheart, but in the 1670s the secondary meaning of “small red beetle” emerged.

Although it is clear that the name honors the Virgin Mary, it is less clear how that association arose. I have come across various explanations, and who knows what the real story is. But let’s have fun examining the options!

• According to Ask the Smithsonian, ladybugs received their name because art from the Middle Ages often depicted the Virgin Mary in a red robe. (See the example painting below!) Furthermore, the species of ladybug common in Europe – Coccinella septempunctata – has seven spots, and Catholics linked these with the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of Mary.

• Dr. John Losey, a professor of entomology at Cornell University and founder of the Lost Ladybug Project, offers a different explanation. He says that once, during the Middle Ages, aphids were destroying crops and the farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary for help. The Virgin sent ladybugs to save the harvest, and the grateful farmers named the beetle in her honor.
• Others connect the name with the idea that ladybugs live in heaven and are messengers to God. Or they say that since ladybugs did so much good, for this reason they were consecrated to the Virgin Mary.

And there you go. Those are the primary explanations for the association with the Virgin Mary. Now let’s look at what people call ladybugs in the different languages of Europe!

Lucky Ladybugs Across Europe

It isn’t just English speakers who associate ladybugs with luck (and with the Virgin Mary). In Germany, people call this insect a Marienkäfer or a “Mary beetle”. According to a German etymological dictionary, prior forms include Vnser Frawen käferle “Our Lady’s beetles” and Vnser Frawen küle “Our Lady’s little cows”. Yes, cows. We’ll come back to that!

In Spanish, the most widespread name for this beetle is mariquita or “little Mary”. There are almost as many different names as there are Spanish-speaking countries, but another one of my favorites is vaquita de San Antonio or “little cow of St. Anthony”.

In Poland, the word for ladybug is biedronka. There is a bit of confusion about what biedronka actually means, but one possible etymology derives it from a Czech word meaning “lamb”. The full phrase would have been “Mary’s little lamb”. Dialectal versions are panienka and panieneczka, both meaning “little lady”.

So, then, the ladybug is Mary’s beetle in many different languages. And it seems that if the insect doesn’t belong to the Virgin, it belongs to God himself. We have already seen that in France, a dialectal name is bête à bon Dieu or “animal of good God”. In Russian, the standard term is божья коровка, “God’s little cow.” Adorable, but confusing.

Ladycows?

You may be wondering where cows come into the picture. Why do we have Spanish vaquita de San Antonio and Russian божья коровка? And in fact, in the 17th and 18th centuries English speakers said “lady-cow”, too!

So what is going on? There is actually a scientific reason for the association. When ladybugs feel threatened, they secrete a foul-tasting liquid reminiscent (apparently) of milk. Apparently people long ago saw this cow-like behavior and thought the name “little cow” was appropriate.

Final Thoughts on Ladybugs

I hope you have enjoyed learning more about our little red beetle friends and their legendary past. You can learn more scientific facts about ladybugs on the National Geographic Kids website. But at the very least, now you know why ladybugs are lucky.

I have only discussed European languages and cultures in this post because those are the ones that I am most familiar with. But ladybugs live pretty much everywhere, so I am sure there are traditions about ladybugs in other parts of the world, as well. A topic to explore another day!

Do you know any fun facts about ladybugs? Or do you know any other bug superstitions? Let me know in the comments!

And if you want to read more fun facts about etymology and idioms, check out my language tidbits section. For instance, what does it mean when you turn flies into elephants?