Most people adore ladybugs because they are cute, graceful, colorful. But what many people don’t know is that ladybugs are a farmer’s friend because they eat aphids and other plant-eating pests that can cause significant damage to crops. Another interesting thing about ladybugs is their wings. The beautiful spotted red shell that uniquely identifies a beetle is actually their forewings. Known as elytra, they protect a set of soft wings underneath known as hindwings.

The hindwings are where the magic happens. When a ladybug takes off, the elytra opens up like the wing doors of a supercar, and flight is born. When it is done flying, the hindwings are once again neatly folded under the elytra. That itself is an amazing feat because each hindwing is four times the size of the ladybug! But nature has it all figured out – simply fold along the veins of the hindwings, the way one folds origami paper into shape. How wonderful is that?

Credit: All videos by Juli O. Key