72000 Ladybugs Freed in Mall of America: The Bane of Indoor Aphids

When you think of ladybugs, you usually think of outdoor gardens or lawns. A mall complex, in contrast, is probably the furthest thing from your mind. Yet now, ladybugs and shopping have combined. About 72,000 of the insects have been released inside the Mall of America, the largest mall in the United States.

The mall in Minnesota is massive, large enough to hold seven Yankee Stadiums, according to Discovery News. While it certainly has the room for the ladybugs, you may wonder exactly what their purpose is among racks of clothes and in the food court. In addition to its miles of stores, the mall also has more than 30,000 live plants that act as natural air purifiers. Unfortunately, these plants have succumbed to the dreaded aphid, which has been munching away at their leaves.

That's where the ladybugs come in. Since ladybugs feast on aphids, mall managers are hoping that their introduction will lead to healthier plants without the need of pesticides.

Ladybugs possess carapaces that can range from bright red to orange. Yet while they're pretty to look at, they're also known for their voracious appetite. They lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of aphids and other plant-eating pests. When these eggs hatch, the larvae immediately begin to feed. In fact, a ladybug can eat as much as 5,000 aphids within its three to six week lifespan.

"Ladybugs are what I like to call, sort of a biological defense system," said Lydell Newby, the Mall of America's senior manager of environmental services, in an interview with local news station KARE 11.

Not all are pleased with the new mall residents, though. Some customers have complained that the ladybugs might fly onto food--an unpleasant experience for both parties involved. Yet a mall spokesperson noted that, in fact, ladybugs spend most of their lives on plants and are unlikely to bother people eating food.

While these insects may find a new home in a mall, though, they're also finding new homes across North America. The distribution pattern of ladybugs has drastically changed over the past twenty years, and native ladybugs that were once very common are becoming extremely rare. The new patterns could be due to climate change, or other environmental factors, according to the Lost Ladybug Project.

The ladybugs were released in honor of Earth Day, which occurred on Monday.