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Answer 1 C: are distinguished from other beetles by their relatively short antennae (11 segments) and the fact their feet have four segments.

Answer 2 A: There are 46 species of ladybird in the UK but only actually resemble a 'traditional' ladybird.

Answer 3 B: Ladybirds' bright colours warn potential predators that they will taste bad. However, some beetles in the ladybird family are dull-coloured with no spots like the

Answer 4 A: When a ladybird first emerges from its pupal case, it is plain yellow, with no spots. The spots appear over the next day or so, and once established the ladybird will have that number of spots for the rest of its life.

Answer 5 B: The name 'ladybird' is thought to derive from "Our Lady" - in early pictures Mary wore a red cloak - and the seven spots were thought to represent the seven joys and sorrows of Mary.

Answer 6 C: lay their eggs in aphid larvae which are a favourite feast for a hungry ladybird. The wasps use the chemical trails left by ladybirds to avoid laying eggs in a ladybirds' hunting ground.

Answer 7 C: are ant-loving 'myrmecophiles' and live harmoniously with the ordinarily aggressive wood ant. During the winter months, the seven-spot enters the wood ant nests to sit out the cold.

Answer 8 B: The rare makes its home in disturbed river shingle banks that flood! This behaviour has mainly been observed in .

Answer 9 B : The first meal for a will usually be one of its siblings! Predatory ladybirds lay their eggs in clutches of 20 to 40 eggs. When a ladybird larva hatches from its egg it consumes its own egg case and then turns to feed on one of its un-hatched siblings.

Catching an aphid is very challenging for a newly hatched and hungry larva. Once the ladybird has developed to an adult, however, aphids are a staple part of its diet.

Test your predatory ladybird skills with the .

Answer 10 C: The sticky yellow goo a ladybird secretes when disturbed is reflex blood. It has a very unpleasant smell and contains the toxic alkaloids that deter predators.

How did you do? Try identifying ladybirds in your local area and join in with the National ladybird survey which launched this week.