Oracle Database Administration: The Essential Refe

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The animals on the cover of Oracle Database Administration: The Essential Reference are ladybug beetles (family Coccinellidae), also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles. Due to an attractive appearance and a diet of plant-eating aphids (some females consume up to 75 a day), these small, red or orange black-spotted beetles rank high in global opinion polls, and are even associated in some cultures with Christian symbols. In German, ladybugs are called “Marienkafer,” or Mary’s beetle; in French, one name for them is “les vaches de la vierge” or Cows of the Virgin.

Ladybugs are effective in reducing garden pests and can be ordered from garden catalogs by the pound; they also frequently spend the winter inside people’s homes, which in Canada and the U.S. is said to bring good luck. Elsewhere, the beetles are thought to signify good weather, good harvest, or other good fortune.

There are thousands of ladybug species worldwide, and a few are plant eaters and pests themselves. Their colorful wing covers are more than just a pretty picture: predators generally avoid red or orange-and-black insects, as they tend to taste terrible. Other defensive maneuvers include playing dead, the production of a foul odor, and fierce-looking larvae. ...