The hunt was on for rare ladybugs in Rochester on Saturday as young citizen scientists scoured fields for three species of endangered insects. The event was part of the tri-town library’s My Own Backyard initiative designed to get families exploring the environment.

Children’s author Loree Griffin Burns, who also holds a PhD in biochemistry, taught children and families how to collect ladybugs, photograph them and upload the data to the Lost Ladybug Project website.

Started by Cornell University scientist John Losey 15 years ago, the project seeks to document ladybugs across North America to figure out why their populations are declining.

Over the past 20 years, several species of native ladybug, once common, are becoming increasingly rare.

Burns explained that the two-spotted ladybug, three-spotted ladybug and transverse ladybug had been re-discovered by two young citizen scientists, age 9 and 11, after entomologists were uncertain if the species had gone extinct.

Since then tens of thousands of ladybug pictures have been uploaded, including rare species.

Burns said she didn’t expect to see one of the endangered species in Rochester, but that doesn’t mean the work wasn’t valuable.

“Even if we don’t find ladybugs today that’s important information to have,” she said. “That helps us figure out where the ladybugs are doing well.”

After a brief lesson on the ladybugs life cycle, Burns and several children trekked to a wildflower garden in the center of town. Participants took turns sweeping a net over the flowers to snag grasshoppers, inchworms and other insects.

They even found some ladybugs.

Michelle Cusolito, who helped put the program together, said one polished ladybug and four taxi cab ladybugs were discovered during the search.

In addition to Saturday’s event, Burns visited students at Old Hammondtown School and Rochester Memorial School for other environmental programs.

The programs represent a collaboration between the Rochester Memorial School PTO, Old Hammondtown PTO, Kathy Gauvin, Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester Cultural Councils and the tri-town libraries.