Ladybug

Description

• Body — round, dome-shaped; 4-10mm typical
• Color — typically red, orange, or yellow with black spots; substantial variation by species
• Spots — number, pattern, color varies by species; not reliable for individual ID
• Larvae — [[american-alligator|alligator]]-like; spotted black with orange/red highlights; substantially different from adult appearance
• Eggs — yellow-orange clusters laid on aphid-infested leaves

Diet

Adults and larvae both predatory:

• Aphids — primary prey; one ladybug can eat 50-100 aphids per day
• Scale insects, mealybugs
• Mites
• Thrips
• Insect eggs — many small insect eggs
• Some species — pollen and nectar as supplemental food

Adults and larvae together provide continuous pest control across the growing season.

Life cycle

1. Eggs laid in clusters near aphid colonies (10-50 eggs per cluster)
2. Larvae hatch within ~4-7 days; immediately predatory
3. Larval period — 2-4 weeks; multiple instars
4. Pupation — attached to leaf surface
5. Adult emergence — 5-7 days later
6. Adult lifespan — months; can overwinter
7. Multiple generations per year

Native vs. introduced

The displacement story:

• North America historically had hundreds of native ladybug species
• Multi-colored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) introduced 1916, 1964, 1979 (USDA biocontrol releases)
• Asian beetle established widely in 1980s; expanded rapidly
• Native species — twice-stabbed lady beetle (Chilocorus stigma), nine-spotted lady beetle (Coccinella novemnotata), two-spotted lady beetle (Adalia bipunctata) — have declined dramatically
• Several native species now uncommon or rare

The Asian lady beetle controversy:

• Effective aphid predator
• Aggregates in homes for overwintering (annoying to residents)
• Can bite (most ladybugs don’t)
• Displaces native species

The introduction is now widely seen as ecological mistake; too late to undo, but caution about future biocontrol introductions has increased.

Native species worth knowing

• Twice-stabbed lady beetle (Chilocorus stigma) — black with two red spots; native; specialist predator
• Pink lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata) — pink with spots; common in some agriculture
• Spotted lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens) — orange with multiple spots; one of the most-common natives
• Nine-spotted lady beetle (Coccinella novemnotata) — once widespread; now rare; [[beacon-ny|New York]] state insect
• Two-spotted lady beetle (Adalia bipunctata) — once common; significantly declined

How to support ladybugs

• Don’t use broad-spectrum insecticides — most-effective single intervention
• Tolerate modest aphid populations — feeds ladybug populations
• Plant diverse flowering — pollen and nectar supplements
• Leave overwintering shelter — leaf litter, brush, perennial stems

See also

Auto-generated from this entry’s typed relations: frontmatter, grouped by relation type so the editorial signal isn’t flattened.

• Shares approach with: [[hover-fly]] · [[lacewing]]
• Member of: [[animal]]

Sources

• Garden Insects of North America, Whitney Cranshaw
• The Lost Ladybug Project (Cornell University)
• Multiple beneficial-insect publications

Rooted in life.