Lost Ladybug Project

The Lost Ladybug Project was set in motion in the year 2000 when Cornell researchers coordinated with 4-H Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners surveying ladybug populations across New York State. Later the researchers collaborated with graduate students from the Cornell Institute for Biological Teaching to develop ladybug survey projects for chil... dren. Field-testing these projects with students at a small number of elementary schools in New York State in began in 2004. One of the first major discoveries came in 2006 when Jilene (then 11 years old) and Jonathan (then 10 years old) Penhale found a rare nine-spotted ladybug (Coccinella novemnotata) near their home in Virginia. (See details on the ninespotted ladybug and the twospotted , too) They just happened to be in the company of parents of a Cornell entomology student who had heard of the Lost Ladybug Project. This was the first ninespotted ladybug seen in the eastern U.S. in 14 years! Their finding confirmed that the species was not yet extinct and that with enough people working together this and other rare ladybug species could be found. With this discovery, and after developing survey methods, a core database, and a beginning childrens project, we were granted funding by the NSF Informal Science Education program in 2008. (Click to view our NSF Project Description , Proposal Summary and descriptions of selected publications.) Researchers from South Dakota joined the Lost Ladybug quest early on and the project now collaborates with both 4-H and DiscoverLife.org. Now anyone in North America has the opportunity to join the exciting search for rare species and make a tangible contribution to the conservation of these beautiful and useful creatures. To help children become confident and competent participants in science, identifying personally with science, so that we develop a generation of adults who are engaged in scientific discussions, policy, and thinking. Click here to read more about the educational impact of the Lost Ladybug Project. John Losey ...Read More