In many cultures, the iconic ladybug, with its spotted red wings, is thought to bring good luck. In the United States, it’s a fortuitous sign if a ladybug lands on you. That’s because the beetle is “dedicated to the Virgin Mary,” a central figure in the Christian religion, says Dan Melia, a professor of Celtic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. In other words, “it’s ‘our lady’s bug,’” he says. Ladybugs have associations with the divine in many languages. In Sanskrit, the beetle’s name means “Indra’s shepherd”; Indra is a Hindu god.

Source: National Geographic