--- description: Japanese researchers use selective breeding to develop a non-flying ladybug that is used as a "biopesticide." title: Nature's newest pesticide: The flightless ladybug image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf7c2869c01bb5385/69869f7b3bc99980951a4e6b/4519430941.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Environment](/tag/environment/) ## Environment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Japanese Farmers Just Got a New Pesticide: The Flightless Ladybug by [Melissa Hellmann](/author/melissa-hellmann/) ## Melissa Hellmann Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 14, 2014 7:27 AM CUT  A rice farmer works in a paddy field in Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, June 25, 2014. A rice farmer works in a paddy field in Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, June 25, 2014.Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images by [Melissa Hellmann](/author/melissa-hellmann/) ## Melissa Hellmann Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 14, 2014 7:27 AM CUT Researchers in Japan have [discovered](http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001459206 "undefined") a way to selectively breed flightless ladybugs to be used as a “biopesticide” — a natural alternative to chemical pesticides. Ladybugs have long been considered natural pest-control for gardens and crops, but their ability to fly away encouraged many agriculturalists to instead rely on chemical pesticides that are harmful to the environment. After several generations of being exposed to chemicals, many pests have also been known to develop pesticide resistance. In an effort to create a practical biopesticide, Tomokazu Seko, a researcher from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Fukuyama, Japan, conducted research on 400 ladybugs from the _Harmonia axyridis_ species. After selective breeding over 30 generations, he was finally able to develop a non-flying ladybug. A company in Ibaraki Prefecture has started selling the flightless ladybug as a biopesticide for indoor use. [According](http://www.biopesticideindustryalliance.org/2014/08/japanese-develop-a-ladybug-thats-a-biopesticide/ "undefined") to a statement from the Biopesticide Industry Alliance, the ladybug has already reduced over 90% of the pest-damage to Japanese mustard spinach. “The best part is that you can see the ladybugs working with your own eyes,” Seko told the _Japan News_. \[[_Japan News_](http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001459206 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3110016/ladybug-biopesticide-pesticide-aphid-japan-agriculture/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3110016/ladybug-biopesticide-pesticide-aphid-japan-agriculture/"},"headline":"Japanese Farmers Just Got a New Pesticide: The Flightless Ladybug","datePublished":"2014-08-14T07:27:27.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T09:39:38.578Z","description":"Ladybugs can do the work that nasty chemicals used to","url":"https://time.com/3110016/ladybug-biopesticide-pesticide-aphid-japan-agriculture/","keywords":["Environment","Agriculture","Japan","bugs"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf7c2869c01bb5385/69869f7b3bc99980951a4e6b/4519430941.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Hellmann","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-hellmann/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf7c2869c01bb5385/69869f7b3bc99980951a4e6b/4519430941.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ancient Silk Town Paves Way For Japans Abandoned Rice Fields","caption":"Ancient Silk Town Paves Way For Japans Abandoned Rice Fields","creditText":"Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3110016/ladybug-biopesticide-pesticide-aphid-japan-agriculture/","name":"Japanese Farmers Just Got a New Pesticide: The Flightless Ladybug"}}]}] ```