In the 1910s, the Asian Lady Beetle, a species of Lady Beetle native to Eastern Asia, was released in the US by the Department of Agriculture to help control booming aphid populations that native Ladybugs could not control on their own. While the Asian Lady Beetles do in fact eat aphids like their native counterparts, they are opportunists and will eat Ladybug larvae and young as well.

Due to their hardy nature and similar appetite, Ladybug populations are being threatened, not only due to being eaten but also having habitat space overrun by the very adaptable Asian Lady Beetles. The US Ladybugs are not the only ones under attack, either; the issue persists in the UK as well. Ladybugs, which are docile, do not bite, but Asian Lady Beetles can and will bite if they feel threatened. They also often seek shelter in homes to hide from the cold as fall and winter approach, causing them to become a nuisance to most homeowners. 

Thus, the beetle has been labeled both as invasive and a pest in the US and the UK. While utilizing Coccinellidae (the umbrella term for Lady Beetle species), being utilized as pest control can be traced back to Ancient Greece; however, with Asian Lady Beetles now being invasive and threatening the ladybug populations and habitat, it is advised that farmers and gardeners tread cautiously when purchasing Ladybugs online. 

For more information, visit: 
Harmonia axyridis - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio
Ladybug vs. Asian Lady Beetle: Battling Pests - Global Ideas
​(Image Credit Pepper's Home & Garden)

Pulses are in the legume family (podded plants) but vary due to their dry edible seed. Dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils are all harvested once the moisture in the seed and pod has depleted. Pulses also have higher protein and fiber than other legumes, as well as low fat content. For more information on pulses please visit ​What Are Pulses - USA Pulses

Image Credit: USA Pulses

Peas contain the pigment known as anthocyanin which gives plants and fruit a red-purple color. This is the same pigment that gives grapes or apple skin their coloring. There was a demand to breed out this pigment due to the anthocyanin making the purple-flowered pea more bitter-tasting to humans and animals than a white-flowered pea.

Image credit Simon Cross Genetics 4

When peas emerge from the pea pod, we are able to track their growth through means of "counting nodes" after the initial scale leaf. Each node produces a new leaf or branch off on the main stem. Typically, peas will start to bloom between the first 15-17 nodes. There are two types of pea plants, a full-leaf pea and an affilla or semi-leafless pea, both can be applied to the node scaling to measure maturity. The full-leafed pea will grow multiple leaves from a node, whereas a semi-leafless will produce a leaf and tendrils from a node. Semi-leafless have these tendrils in order to have better standing capability due to the heights a pea plant can reach.

Image by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers