Purple ladybugs? …During my time I’ve seen a LOT of Ladybugs, they can be some of the strangest and yet most wonderful colors and in fact some of them you can hardly tell if they’re a Ladybug or not!
On those travels, I’ve also come across images of purple Ladybugs. It sounds like a wonderful scenario, as fascinated as we are with even the Red Ladybugs, to see and witness a Purple one would be just the most wonderful thing!
So one has to ask the question, are these Purple Ladybugs really alive and made by nature? Well here’s the quick answer, then I’ll go into more detail below.
Do purple Ladybugs exist? There are no officially reported findings by Entomologists or other authoritative bodies that purple ladybugs have been discovered. All the signs indicate that Purple Ladybugs do not exist. Investigations into reports on the internet indicate these Ladybugs do not exist… but maybe just not yet!
I’d like to think that if they do exist, and if evidence showed there was a reasonable possibility, then the relevant authorities would be on to this in their droves. So I decided I’d find all the evidence I could and present it here.
So before we ask if Purple Ladybugs could exist, let’s ask how did this come about?
Where Did The Purple Ladybugs Story Come From?
The story it seems was first released on the 9th March 2015 on the Facebook page ‘Discovering Our Wonderful World’ which sadly no longer seems to be around. The article included the caption…
“Yes, there are purple ladybugs. The fifteen-spotted ladybug is found only in Hawaii. When young, it is grayish in color with fifteen black spots on the body. As it grows old, the color of the body changes to dark purple, and hence, the spots are not clearly visible”
I have to say they did a pretty good job, credit where it’s due! All of those colors would make you wonder what the actual real color of the 15 spotted Ladybug was. There are so many ways to get publicity but you have to admit the site that released the story for this certainly had a good idea for a publicity stunt.
The purple ladybug images
Here’s a picture of the reported image, allegedly from a beach in Hawaii.
Another unusual point about this is that up until this time, no one had ever seen a purple ladybug, then here we are suddenly presented with a group of 20 of them.
It didn’t take long for other photographers to locate the original image and begin sending their own version of it. I’ve attached a few interpretations of the image below. Clearly, it looks like the truth was out!
But it was too late, the story had already begun to spread. It was quickly followed by Twitter, Pinterest reports, and other satirical news sites, which soon gathered momentum and gave the impression it was true.
So, sadly this story is now wholly believed to be false. But just to put me in the clear though, I’m not calling people liars or making rash allegations here, often these things are shared in good faith.
And let’s not forget, when talking of new discoveries we have to keep an open mind and examine what evidence is presented. But, in this case, when you see the evidence and the turn of events, it does give a totally different impression.
Did You Know…
A Group of Ladybugs is called a ‘Loveliness of Ladybugs’
Find out more Interesting Facts About Ladybugs
Now, it’s commonplace for all kinds of Ladybug colors to appear on the internet. Thank goodness we all sort of know it’s made up now, but it’s always best to check. Remember don’t believe everything you see on the internet!
Here’s a really good image of multicolored ladybugs
What the 15 Spotted Ladybug Really Looks Like
The real color of the 15 spotted ladybugs isn’t purple as depicted in the images. It is actually the red one that’s correct. So let’s be clear on what the actual color is… if only for the sake of the 15 spotted Ladybug. Here are a couple of others just so you know I’m not making this up either!
image source: dailymail.co.uk
What Colors Do Ladybugs Come In?
There are many colors that you can find Ladybugs in. Red – of course. Orange, Yellow, Brown, Grey or White, Black, Steelblue, Beige, or Cream, Or indeed many two-color or even three-color combinations using the above-mentioned colors.
Learn if Ladybugs come in Green, Pink, and Bright Blue.
Can Ladybugs Be Purple?
Who knows for sure if Purple Ladybugs do, or will ever exist? Ladybugs have been around for millions of years and the colors have evolved to a great extent already, so they may well evolve into purple one day. Mother nature has a habit of surprising us with all types of strange shapes and colors.
There are purple animals that exist in nature. Those we know of are as follows:
- Purple Starfish – offers a range of colors, including purple
- Purple Emperor Butterfly – Butterflies native to continental Europe and northern Asia.
- Indian Purple Frog – a recent discovery in India.
- The Purple Starling – sports a metallic purple colored head and body and green wings
- Elegant Firefish – The firefish has a purple head and purple stripes along its fins.
- Janthina Janthina – a Sea Snail found worldwide that can be purple or violet
Purple Emperor Butterfly photo By Kristian Peters – Fabelfroh - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
What Purple Ladybugs Can You Get?
Well, the real ‘alive’ kind may not be available – currently. But there are ways you can join in the whole Purple Ladybug theme, especially if you’re looking for a purple ladybug gift. Here’s a selection of products you can buy that are available – very cute!
What about a set of cute little wind-up Ladybugs, there’s even a purple AND a pink one available.
Here’s the link to Amazon for you.
Or how about these Small Lady Bug Children’s Lucky Love Fashion Stud Earrings, here’s the link to these on Amazon.
If you’ve got a bit of helium lying around, you can have your own walking purple Ladybug! See here for this.
Or finally, how about this cute little purple ladybug mouse mat. A perfect little gift for their computer.
Purple ladybugs – Conclusions
There are probably still a host of insects out there waiting to be discovered, some we may never discover. And so maybe in time, we may well find purple ladybugs (I hope so).
I’m certainly going to keep an open mind, and as soon as I hear about it I’ll be straight back to alter this article, or better still, write a completely new one. But for now, we’ll just have to trust official sources – and they are remaining strangely silent!
I hope you found this enlightening. I do hope it finds its way to you, so people can get a more definitive answer. As amusing and heartwarming as the stories and pictures are, I guess it’s right that we report everything as accurately as possible, even if that means me ruining the party a bit!
Related Questions:
Do Blue Ladybugs Exist? This partly depends on your definition of Blue. Officially, as far as we can tell, bright blue ladybugs do not exist. The nearest available Ladybug species to a blue Ladybird is aptly called the Steelblue ladybird – Halmas Chalybeus. Which has a metallic hue, giving a blue tint to its body (elytra).
Are There Pink Ladybugs? There are currently no known species of pink Ladybugs in nature. If you find what looks like one then, when red-winged Ladybugs age, their spots, and shells (Elytra) can fade, sometimes giving a pink hue to their color. Or, perhaps you made a new discovery! If so, let me know and I’ll follow it up for you.
