Do ladybugs lay eggs or have live young?

As insects, ladybugs lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young. The female ladybug will lay the eggs, which are typically light yellow and podlike in appearance, on the underside of leaves, where the eggs are offered a bit more protection from hazards such as falling rain and predators.

Female ladybugs select their egg laying locations carefully to ensure that the hatchlings will have access to food when they are born. Immediately after they hatch, the ladybugs enter the larval stage of development. At this point, the ladybugs have not yet developed their iconic red and black appearance. They start developing this appearance during the pupal stage.