Ladybug

InsectBeetleInvertebrate

Overview

Ladybugs — known as ladybirds in much of the world and as lady beetles to entomologists — are small, often brightly coloured beetles in the family Coccinellidae. There are thousands of species worldwide. This page is a group-level overview; the seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) is shown as a familiar reference. Many species are welcomed by gardeners because they prey on plant pests such as aphids.

Habitat & Range

Ladybugs are found in many habitats — gardens, grasslands, woodlands, farmland, and hedgerows — wherever their prey and host plants occur, on every continent except Antarctica. Many species gather in sheltered places to pass the winter, sometimes in large aggregations. Habitat preferences vary by species, with some closely tied to particular plants or prey.

Diet

Most familiar ladybugs are predators as both larvae and adults, feeding heavily on aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects, which is why they are valued in pest control. Some also eat pollen and nectar, and a minority of coccinellid species are plant-feeders or fungus-feeders rather than predators. Because the family is diverse, diet should not be assumed to be the same for every species.

Behavior

Ladybugs use bright warning colours and can release a bitter, yellowish fluid when threatened, signalling to predators that they taste unpleasant. Some species gather in large numbers to overwinter. They develop through complete metamorphosis — egg, larva, pupa, and adult — with the larvae often looking very different from the spotted adults. Specific behaviour varies between species.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Ladybugs are widely regarded as beneficial insects and helpful natural pest controllers in gardens and on farms, and they feature warmly in many cultures. Some introduced ladybird species, however, have spread widely and can affect native ladybugs, so not every ladybug story is positive. Most species are common; conservation attention focuses on particular native species that have declined.

Similar Animals

Ladybugs are beetles, the order Coleoptera, and are unrelated to the bee or butterfly covered separately on FaunaHub despite sharing gardens with them. A few unrelated beetles and bugs mimic the rounded, spotted ladybug shape, and some leaf beetles can be mistaken for them.

More photos of the ladybug