KINGDOM: Animalia | PHYLUM: Arthropoda | CLASS: Insecta | ORDER:Coleoptera | FAMILY: Coccinellidae (lady beetles)

Like all beetles, Lady Beetles (often called "ladybugs" or "ladybird beetles") have chewing mouthparts and hardened front wings (elytra) that fold over the abdomen to proect their back wings.  Lady beetles always have round or broad, oval bodies, and most species are orange, red, or yellow, with black spots.  A few rare types are black with yellow, orange, or red spots, and some are completely black.  The ends of lady beetle antennae have small clubs.

Lady beetle larvae are elongated, and most are black with yellow, red, or orange markings.  The larvae of a few species produce a thick wax coating over their bodies.

Lady beetles have complete metamorphosis with egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages.  In most ladybird beetle species, bright yellow or orange eggs are laid in small clusters which are glued to plant leaves with secretions produced by the female.  The larvae hatch within a few days and reach full size after 2 molts, a time span of about a month (depending on temperature, food availability, and species).

There are several species of lady beetles in Kentucky.  Some are predatory, and some are plant feeders, and each type has a different ecological role.  Many lady beetles have defensive secretions that make them taste bad to predators.  Even with this protection, lady beetles are often eaten by birds, spiders, and larger insects.

PREDATORY LADY BEETLES: Predatory lady beetles are the most common.  The larval and adult forms of predatory lady beetle species feed on a wide variety of small, soft-bodied insects, such as aphids, scale insects, caterpillars, other insect larvae (including other lady beetle larvae), and insect eggs.  Both the adults and larvae actively hunt for prey over the surfaces of plants, especially in weedy environments and in crops.  Pictured below are two predatory lady beetle larvae.  On the left is Hippodamia convergens, a common aphid predator in Kentucky agricultural habitats.  On the right is a larva from the Scymnus genus.  This larvae also feeds on aphids.  The white tufts covering the larva are made of a waxy substance that is secreted from pores on the insect's skin.  The substance helps to protect the larva from ants and other predators.  Ezra Schwartzberg, a former researcher at the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology, studied the complex ecological relationships between Scymnus larvae, the aphids that the larvae prey on, and the ants that protect the aphids.

Although most lady beetle species are beneficial predators, a few species are considered pests, including the Mexican Bean Beetle, the Squash Lady Beetle, and the Asian Lady Beetle, all of which are discussed in detail below.

ASIAN LADY BEETLE
GENUS and SPECIES: Harmonia axyridis
The Asian Lady Beetle, Harmonia axyridis, was imported into the United States to control aphid pests.  The beetle kills lots of aphids, but it also overwinters in huge numbers inside homes  This species also attacks other lady beetle larvae and eggs, and may be responsible for reducing numbers of native lady beetle species.  The Asian Lady Beetle can be difficult to identify because it has a highly variable number of spots.  Read more about this pest in our Asian Lady Beetle factsheet.

MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE & SQUASH LADY BEETLE
GENUS and SPECIES: Epilachna varivestis (mexican bean beetle), Epilachna borealis (squash lady beetle)
The Mexican Bean Beetle, Epilachna varivestis, pictured below left, is a large plant-feeding lady beetle.  It will sometimes causes injury to bean crops in Kentucky.  A close relative, the Squash Lady Beetle, Epilachna borealis, below right, is an occasional pest as well.  These beetles are more serious pests further south.  Read more about them here at the University of Florida Featured Creatures web page.

Lady beetles and their larvae are common and easy to find in Kentucky during summer and early fall, especially on garden plants and in crops where they can be found hunting on leaves for aphids and other small insects.  The beetles are typically slow-moving and easy to catch, but they will sometimes drop off of a plant to escape danger.  They are also able to fly, but they are slow, clumsy fliers.  The larvae are very slow-moving and easy to capture.  Remember that all insect larvae should be preserved in alcohol.

The larvae will often remain still long enough for you to snap a picture, but the adult beetles seem to be in constant motion, especially on hot days.  To take a good picture of any insect, it is sometimes a good idea to "cool it off" first.  To do this, capture the insect and place it in a refrigerator for fifteen minutes or so.  This will not kill the insect (unless your refrigerator is very cold!), but it will cool it down enough so that it will remain motionless while you take its picture.  In a few minutes, the insect will be back to normal.

Lady beetles are very important beneficial insects in crops and gardens. This page from the USDA discusses some of the most important species:
www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar95/001030.beetlemagstory.htm

It is often said that it is bad luck to kill a ladybug.  In fact, many people believe that ladybugs are lucky.  This is even mentioned in the Four Seasons song, "Lucky Ladybug," from 1963.

It is believed in Europe that the number of spots on certain lady beetle species can predict the coming harvest: fewer spots is good, too many spots is bad (this is probably not true, by the way!).