The ladybug faces many challenges in the microworld right at our feet. Most predators stay clear however, having experienced the foul smelling and tasting yellow liquid the beetle secretes. That smooth slippery dome on top also provides vital protection. But this adorable creature is powerless against a type of parasitic wasp. The nasty nemesis plants an egg in the ladybug's abdomen, which steadily consumes its host's internal tissues. It then "zombifies" the ladybug into its own bodyguard!