Seven-Spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

InsectBeetlePredator

Overview

The seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) is a lady beetle native to Europe and Asia, found wherever aphids, its main prey, are plentiful. It was introduced to North America, where it is now established in the United States and Canada.

Its shiny, domed body has red or orange wing cases (elytra), usually marked with seven black spots — three on each wing case and one shared spot at the front where they meet, flanked by two white patches — although the number of spots can range from 0 to 9. The head and thorax are black with white markings, including a pale spot on each side of the head. Lady beetle larvae in general are dark and alligator-like, with three pairs of prominent legs, and one UK account describes this species' larvae as brownish-gray with four pairs of bright orange splotches.

Adults measure 6.50–7.8 mm, 7–8 mm or 6–8 mm, depending on the account, and the eggs are about 1 mm long. Bright colors warn predators that ladybirds taste horrible, though some birds still attack, and when threatened this species can release toxic N-oxides and alkaloids from a gland between the femur and tibia.

Habitat & Range

Seven-spot ladybirds live on small herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees in open fields, grasslands, marshes, farmland, woods, hedgerows, parks, gardens and urban areas — wherever aphids are plentiful — including aphid-infested crops of potatoes, legumes, sweet corn, alfalfa, wheat, sorghum and pecans.

For the winter, adults favor open, south-facing places with sheltering boulders, small tussocks or dense grass hedgerows. In Britain they also shelter in places such as outbuildings, cracks in walls, holes in trees and the hollow stems of dead hogweed, and in central Europe they gather at hilltop sites at 400–1,500 m, among grass tussocks or stones.

In North America the first established population was found in 1973 in the Hackensack Meadowland, New Jersey, and was thought to have arisen from an accidental release. The species has since spread naturally or been introduced to many northeastern and north-central states and now occurs throughout the United States; it is also listed as introduced in Hawaii.

Diet

The seven-spot ladybird preys mainly on aphids and similar scale insects, including pea, green peach, potato, corn leaf, melon, apple and cereal aphids and greenbugs. Both adults and larvae also eat other small insects, and adults eat pollen when prey is scarce, but the species cannot develop or reproduce on food other than aphids. Young larvae suck out the fluids of aphids, while older larvae eat them whole; some adults will eat eggs or larvae of their own species when the situation calls for it, and larvae eat other lady beetle larvae if aphids are absent.

UK accounts give figures for how many aphids are eaten: around 500 by each larva over three or four weeks and up to 4,500 by an adult — around 5,000 in a lifetime by one account, and 5,000 in a year-long life by another.

Behavior

Seven-spot ladybirds can fly and are mainly active by day. Adults pass the winter dormant and become active again in spring — in Britain usually in March or April — and in the UK they can be seen from March to October. In the northeastern United States there are one to two generations a year before the adults enter winter hibernation, and adults are most abundant in mid- to late summer.

Adults overwinter together, typically in groups of around 10 to 15, although aggregations of more than 200 have been documented; a central European study describes the species as forming small clumps. Some migrate to dormancy sites: on one hill in a mountainous area of southern Turkey, huge numbers occupy aestivo-hibernation (dormancy) sites each year, clearly more abundant at the top than lower down, and a June increase there may be due to a new generation arriving from lowland breeding sites. Large numbers of ladybirds can fly across the Channel to Britain from the continent when summer conditions are suitable, and large larvae may travel up to 12 m in search of prey.

Human Interaction & Conservation

The seven-spot ladybird was introduced to North America to control aphids and has been used across the United States against them. Deliberate releases in the United States took place between 1951 and 1971 by one account, and from as early as 1959 by another, although a researcher quoted in a USDA Agricultural Research article reports evidence that the species first became established from insects that arrived on their own. It may be a more effective predator than some native lady beetles, displacing them in some areas. In eastern South Dakota, three native species declined drastically or effectively disappeared from farmland following its establishment in the 1980s.

When handled, ladybirds release a yellow fluid from their joints that can stain the hands, and beetles accidentally caught with crops can taint the taste of wine.

Reproduction & Life Cycle

Each male and female mates with several partners in a breeding season, and mating also takes place before hibernation; males have no reproductive diapause. In Britain mating usually starts in May, and over the following couple of months females lay bright yellow eggs, which hatch after about a week. Females usually lay near prey such as aphids, often in small clusters in protected sites on leaves and stems. Accounts differ on how many eggs a female produces — 250 to 500 over her lifespan, 200 to 1,000 a season, or 200 to more than 1,000 over a laying period of one to three months — and on how the eggs are grouped: at most 15 on any suitable surface, or batches of 10 to 50.

The larvae grow for 10 to 30 days, depending on the aphid supply, and the pupal stage may last three to 12 days, depending on temperature; development from egg to adult may take only two to three weeks. There is no parental care.

Adult lifespan is generally 1 to 2 years, depending on survival through the winter, by one account, but weeks or months — depending on location, prey and the time of year — by another, and a UK account speaks of a year-long life.

Sourced facts

Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it. Open a row's evidence to see the source, where to look in it, and how firmly it supports the value. Sources checked 2026-10-20.

Sourced facts about the Seven-Spot Ladybird, with the reference supporting each
Fact	What the source states	Evidence
Distinguishing traits	Red or orange wing cases (elytra), usually with seven black spots: three on each and one shared spot at the front where they meet, flanked by two white patches. Black head and thorax with white markings, including a pale spot on each side of the head; shiny, domed body.Spot number can range from 0 to 9. Lady beetle larvae in general are dark and alligator-like, with three pairs of prominent legs; a UK account describes this species' larvae as brownish-grey with four pairs of bright orange splotches. Bright colors warn predators that ladybirds taste horrible, though some birds still attack; when threatened, this species can release toxic N-oxides and alkaloids from a gland between the femur and tibia.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, Missouri Department of Conservation (Field Guide), Woodland Trust, The Wildlife Trusts — how we know Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Physical Description, Predation; Cornell: Appearance; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like?; Wildlife Trusts: About, How to identify Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Physical Description, Predation; Cornell: Appearance; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like?; Wildlife Trusts: About, How to identify Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. Missouri Department of Conservation (Field Guide) Where ADW: Physical Description, Predation; Cornell: Appearance; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like?; Wildlife Trusts: About, How to identify Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Short state field-guide entry; no author or date. 'Said to be the most common lady beetle in Europe' is reported speech and is not used. It describes a flat underside, while ADW calls the ventral side of the abdomen convex; neither is used. Woodland Trust Where ADW: Physical Description, Predation; Cornell: Appearance; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like?; Wildlife Trusts: About, How to identify Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its lifetime aphid figure and 'year-long life' are popular figures without a stated basis. Its folklore (eating ladybirds as a toothache cure) and its UK conservation remark are not used. The Wildlife Trusts Where ADW: Physical Description, Predation; Cornell: Appearance; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like?; Wildlife Trusts: About, How to identify Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its warning-color and 'controlled bleeding' sentences are written about ladybirds in general on this species' page. Its statement about a species migrating to the UK every spring is ambiguous and is not used; its garden advice and conservation-status field are not used.
Geographic range	Native to Europe and Asia (Eurasia), including the Palearctic and Oriental regions; also found in the Middle East and India. Introduced to North America, where it is established in the United States and Canada, and listed as introduced in Hawaii.In North America the first established population was found in 1973 in the Hackensack Meadowland, New Jersey, and was thought to have arisen from an accidental release. It has since spread naturally or been introduced to many northeastern and north-central states and now occurs throughout the United States; it established in east-central South Dakota in 1987.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Missouri Department of Conservation (Field Guide), Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine), Frontiers in Conservation Science (Hesler & Beckendorf 2021, USDA-ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota) — how we know Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Geographic Range, Biogeographic Regions; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; ITIS: Geographic Information; Cornell: introduction; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Frontiers: Introduction Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. Missouri Department of Conservation (Field Guide) Where ADW: Geographic Range, Biogeographic Regions; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; ITIS: Geographic Information; Cornell: introduction; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Frontiers: Introduction Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Short state field-guide entry; no author or date. 'Said to be the most common lady beetle in Europe' is reported speech and is not used. It describes a flat underside, while ADW calls the ventral side of the abdomen convex; neither is used. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Where ADW: Geographic Range, Biogeographic Regions; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; ITIS: Geographic Information; Cornell: introduction; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Frontiers: Introduction Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits The jurisdiction field covers ITIS's North American and Pacific jurisdictions only; its geographic divisions (Europe & Northern Asia, North America, Oceania) carry no native or introduced status. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Geographic Range, Biogeographic Regions; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; ITIS: Geographic Information; Cornell: introduction; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Frontiers: Introduction Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine) Where ADW: Geographic Range, Biogeographic Regions; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; ITIS: Geographic Information; Cornell: introduction; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Frontiers: Introduction Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits March 1995 feature article ('Tiny Lady Beetles Have Big Biocontrol Potential') mostly about Harmonia axyridis and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata; only its paragraph on the seven-spotted lady beetle is used. Its reflex-bleeding, aggregation and removal remarks concern H. axyridis or lady beetles in general and are not used. Frontiers in Conservation Science (Hesler & Beckendorf 2021, USDA-ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota) Where ADW: Geographic Range, Biogeographic Regions; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; ITIS: Geographic Information; Cornell: introduction; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Frontiers: Introduction Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Primary study of coccinellids in crops and restored prairie of east-central South Dakota (2007-2020); its statements about the 1980s declines summarize earlier work (Elliott et al. 1996) and describe association, not proven cause. Regional only.
Habitat	Found wherever aphids are plentiful, on small herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees in open fields, grasslands, marshes, farmland, woods, hedgerows, parks, gardens and urban areas, including aphid-infested crops of potatoes, legumes, sweet corn, alfalfa, wheat, sorghum and pecans.A UK habitat list adds heathland and moorland, freshwater, coastal and wetland sites. Preferred overwintering sites are open and south-facing, with sheltering boulders, small tussocks or dense grass hedgerows; in Britain, places such as outbuildings, cracks in walls, holes in trees and hollow stems of dead hogweed; in central Europe, hilltop sites (400-1500 m) among grass tussocks or stones.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018), European Journal of Entomology (Honek, Martinková & Pekár 2007, Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague) — how we know Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Habitat; Cornell: Habitat (Crops); Wildlife Trusts: Species information, About; Woodland Trust: introduction, Where do 7-spot ladybirds live?; GWCT: text; Honek et al. 2007: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Habitat; Cornell: Habitat (Crops); Wildlife Trusts: Species information, About; Woodland Trust: introduction, Where do 7-spot ladybirds live?; GWCT: text; Honek et al. 2007: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. The Wildlife Trusts Where ADW: Habitat; Cornell: Habitat (Crops); Wildlife Trusts: Species information, About; Woodland Trust: introduction, Where do 7-spot ladybirds live?; GWCT: text; Honek et al. 2007: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its warning-color and 'controlled bleeding' sentences are written about ladybirds in general on this species' page. Its statement about a species migrating to the UK every spring is ambiguous and is not used; its garden advice and conservation-status field are not used. Woodland Trust Where ADW: Habitat; Cornell: Habitat (Crops); Wildlife Trusts: Species information, About; Woodland Trust: introduction, Where do 7-spot ladybirds live?; GWCT: text; Honek et al. 2007: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its lifetime aphid figure and 'year-long life' are popular figures without a stated basis. Its folklore (eating ladybirds as a toothache cure) and its UK conservation remark are not used. Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018) Where ADW: Habitat; Cornell: Habitat (Crops); Wildlife Trusts: Species information, About; Woodland Trust: introduction, Where do 7-spot ladybirds live?; GWCT: text; Honek et al. 2007: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits First-person column by a GWCT advisor (Peter Thompson) for a British audience; it cites no data for its aphid figures, and its Channel-crossing sentence speaks of ladybirds in general. Its newspaper anecdote about 'biting hordes' is not used as a fact. European Journal of Entomology (Honek, Martinková & Pekár 2007, Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague) Where ADW: Habitat; Cornell: Habitat (Crops); Wildlife Trusts: Species information, About; Woodland Trust: introduction, Where do 7-spot ladybirds live?; GWCT: text; Honek et al. 2007: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Abstract of a long-term study of three lady beetle species at five central European hibernacula; the full text was not read.
Diet	Preys mainly on aphids and similar scale insects; larvae too feed mainly on aphids, and both stages also eat other small insects. Aphid prey includes pea, green peach, potato, corn leaf, melon, apple and cereal aphids and greenbugs. Adults eat pollen when prey is scarce.It cannot develop or reproduce on non-aphid food. Some adults will eat eggs or larvae of their own species when the situation calls for it, and larvae eat other lady beetle larvae if aphids are absent. Young larvae suck out aphid fluids; older ones eat whole aphids. One UK account gives around 500 aphids per larva over three or four weeks and up to 4,500 per adult, around 5,000 in a lifetime; another says a ladybird can eat 5,000 aphids in its year-long life.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, European Journal of Entomology (Hodek & Michaud 2008, Czech Academy of Sciences / Kansas State University), Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine), Woodland Trust, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018) — how we know Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Food Habits, Development; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Cornell: Pests Attacked; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat?; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. European Journal of Entomology (Hodek & Michaud 2008, Czech Academy of Sciences / Kansas State University) Where ADW: Food Habits, Development; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Cornell: Pests Attacked; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat?; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Abstract of a point-of-view review ('Why is Coccinella septempunctata so successful?'); the full text was not read. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Food Habits, Development; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Cornell: Pests Attacked; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat?; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine) Where ADW: Food Habits, Development; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Cornell: Pests Attacked; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat?; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits March 1995 feature article ('Tiny Lady Beetles Have Big Biocontrol Potential') mostly about Harmonia axyridis and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata; only its paragraph on the seven-spotted lady beetle is used. Its reflex-bleeding, aggregation and removal remarks concern H. axyridis or lady beetles in general and are not used. Woodland Trust Where ADW: Food Habits, Development; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Cornell: Pests Attacked; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat?; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its lifetime aphid figure and 'year-long life' are popular figures without a stated basis. Its folklore (eating ladybirds as a toothache cure) and its UK conservation remark are not used. Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018) Where ADW: Food Habits, Development; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Cornell: Pests Attacked; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat?; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits First-person column by a GWCT advisor (Peter Thompson) for a British audience; it cites no data for its aphid figures, and its Channel-crossing sentence speaks of ladybirds in general. Its newspaper anecdote about 'biting hordes' is not used as a fact.
Body size	Adults 6.50–7.8 mm, 7–8 mm or 6–8 mm long, by different accounts; eggs about 1 mm long.sources disagreeNo account says how length was measured. The 6–8 mm figures come from two UK accounts, one of which calls it the usual size.	Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust — how we know What each reading says length 6.50 to 7.8 mm; eggs 1 mm long — Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, adult range length, measure not named adults 7-8 mm; eggs about 1 mm long — Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, adults, measure not named; North American natural-enemies guide length 6-8 mm — The Wildlife Trusts, species statistics, measure and life stage not named; UK account usually about 6-8 mm in length — Woodland Trust, adults, measure not named; UK account Adult length differs: 6.50–7.8 mm in one account, 7–8 mm in another, and 6–8 mm (usually about 6–8 mm) in two UK accounts. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Physical Description; Cornell: Appearance, Life Cycle; Wildlife Trusts: Statistics; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Physical Description; Cornell: Appearance, Life Cycle; Wildlife Trusts: Statistics; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. The Wildlife Trusts Where ADW: Physical Description; Cornell: Appearance, Life Cycle; Wildlife Trusts: Statistics; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its warning-color and 'controlled bleeding' sentences are written about ladybirds in general on this species' page. Its statement about a species migrating to the UK every spring is ambiguous and is not used; its garden advice and conservation-status field are not used. Woodland Trust Where ADW: Physical Description; Cornell: Appearance, Life Cycle; Wildlife Trusts: Statistics; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds look like? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its lifetime aphid figure and 'year-long life' are popular figures without a stated basis. Its folklore (eating ladybirds as a toothache cure) and its UK conservation remark are not used.
Lifespan	Wild adults: generally 1 to 2 years, depending on survival through the winter, in one account; weeks or months, depending on location, availability of prey and time of year, in another.sources disagreeA UK account refers in passing to a ladybird's 'year-long life'. No source read gives a captive lifespan or a maximum age.	Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, Woodland Trust — how we know What each reading says adults generally 1 to 2 years, depending on survival through the winter — Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Lifespan/Longevity; typical lifespan, wild adults live for weeks or months, depending on location, availability of prey and time of year — Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, Life Cycle; North American natural-enemies guide a year-long life — Woodland Trust, mentioned with the aphid figure; UK account Adult lifespan is generally 1 to 2 years in one account but weeks or months in another, and a UK account speaks of a year-long life. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Lifespan/Longevity; Cornell: Life Cycle; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Lifespan/Longevity; Cornell: Life Cycle; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. Woodland Trust Where ADW: Lifespan/Longevity; Cornell: Life Cycle; Woodland Trust: What do 7-spot ladybirds eat? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its lifetime aphid figure and 'year-long life' are popular figures without a stated basis. Its folklore (eating ladybirds as a toothache cure) and its UK conservation remark are not used.
Activity pattern	Mainly active by day. Adults pass the winter dormant and become active in spring, in Britain usually in March or April; a UK account gives March to October as the time to see it. On a hill in a mountainous area of southern Turkey, huge numbers of adults occupy aestivo-hibernation (dormancy) sites each year.In the northeastern United States, adults enter winter hibernation after one to two generations a year; adults are most abundant in mid- to late summer.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Woodland Trust, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018), The Wildlife Trusts, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, European Journal of Entomology (Güven, Göllüoğlu & Ceryngier 2015) — how we know Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Behavior; Woodland Trust: Signs and spotting tips; GWCT: text; Wildlife Trusts: When to see; Cornell: Life Cycle; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. Woodland Trust Where ADW: Behavior; Woodland Trust: Signs and spotting tips; GWCT: text; Wildlife Trusts: When to see; Cornell: Life Cycle; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its lifetime aphid figure and 'year-long life' are popular figures without a stated basis. Its folklore (eating ladybirds as a toothache cure) and its UK conservation remark are not used. Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018) Where ADW: Behavior; Woodland Trust: Signs and spotting tips; GWCT: text; Wildlife Trusts: When to see; Cornell: Life Cycle; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits First-person column by a GWCT advisor (Peter Thompson) for a British audience; it cites no data for its aphid figures, and its Channel-crossing sentence speaks of ladybirds in general. Its newspaper anecdote about 'biting hordes' is not used as a fact. The Wildlife Trusts Where ADW: Behavior; Woodland Trust: Signs and spotting tips; GWCT: text; Wildlife Trusts: When to see; Cornell: Life Cycle; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its warning-color and 'controlled bleeding' sentences are written about ladybirds in general on this species' page. Its statement about a species migrating to the UK every spring is ambiguous and is not used; its garden advice and conservation-status field are not used. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Behavior; Woodland Trust: Signs and spotting tips; GWCT: text; Wildlife Trusts: When to see; Cornell: Life Cycle; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. European Journal of Entomology (Güven, Göllüoğlu & Ceryngier 2015) Where ADW: Behavior; Woodland Trust: Signs and spotting tips; GWCT: text; Wildlife Trusts: When to see; Cornell: Life Cycle; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Abstract of a two-year study (2008-2009) at one hill (Uludaz Hill, Çimen Mountain, Kahramanmaraş Province); regional only; the full text was not read.
Social structure	Each male and female mates with several partners in a breeding season, and there is no parental care. Adults overwinter together, typically in groups of around 10 to 15, though aggregations of over 200 have been documented.A central European study of overwintering aggregations describes the species as forming small clumps, in contrast with two other lady beetles that form large ones; a UK account says adults hibernate in hollow plant stems, sometimes clustering together in a large group.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, European Journal of Entomology (Honek, Martinková & Pekár 2007, Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague), The Wildlife Trusts — how we know Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Reproduction, Behavior; Honek et al. 2007: abstract; Wildlife Trusts: About Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. European Journal of Entomology (Honek, Martinková & Pekár 2007, Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague) Where ADW: Reproduction, Behavior; Honek et al. 2007: abstract; Wildlife Trusts: About Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Abstract of a long-term study of three lady beetle species at five central European hibernacula; the full text was not read. The Wildlife Trusts Where ADW: Reproduction, Behavior; Honek et al. 2007: abstract; Wildlife Trusts: About Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its warning-color and 'controlled bleeding' sentences are written about ladybirds in general on this species' page. Its statement about a species migrating to the UK every spring is ambiguous and is not used; its garden advice and conservation-status field are not used.
Reproduction	Females begin laying in spring or early summer, usually near prey such as aphids, often in small clusters in protected sites on leaves and stems. Larvae grow for 10 to 30 days depending on the aphid supply, and development from egg to adult may take only two to three weeks.sources disagreeIn Britain mating usually starts in May; bright yellow eggs are laid over the next couple of months (June to July in one account), hatch after about a week, and larvae feed for three or four weeks. The pupal stage may last three to 12 days depending on temperature. The northeastern US has one to two generations a year. Males lack a reproductive diapause, and mating also occurs before hibernation.	Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018), Woodland Trust, European Journal of Entomology (Hodek & Michaud 2008, Czech Academy of Sciences / Kansas State University) — how we know What each reading says 250 to 500 eggs in a female's lifespan; 200 to 1000 eggs per season, average 440; at most 15 eggs per suitable substrate — Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Reproduction text (lifespan figure, eggs per substrate) and data table (per season) 200 to more than 1,000 eggs over a one to three month period; eggs often in small clusters — Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, laying period beginning in spring or early summer; North American natural-enemies guide eggs laid in batches of 10 to 50 over the couple of months after May mating — Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018), British account Egg output is given for different spans and disagrees: 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan in one account's text, but 200 to 1000 per season (average 440) in the same account's data table and 200 to more than 1,000 over a one-to-three-month laying period in another account. Accounts also differ on how eggs are grouped: at most 15 per suitable substrate in one, batches of 10 to 50 in a British account. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Reproduction (text and data table); Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text; Woodland Trust: How do 7-spot ladybirds breed?; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Reproduction (text and data table); Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text; Woodland Trust: How do 7-spot ladybirds breed?; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018) Where ADW: Reproduction (text and data table); Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text; Woodland Trust: How do 7-spot ladybirds breed?; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits First-person column by a GWCT advisor (Peter Thompson) for a British audience; it cites no data for its aphid figures, and its Channel-crossing sentence speaks of ladybirds in general. Its newspaper anecdote about 'biting hordes' is not used as a fact. Woodland Trust Where ADW: Reproduction (text and data table); Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text; Woodland Trust: How do 7-spot ladybirds breed?; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its lifetime aphid figure and 'year-long life' are popular figures without a stated basis. Its folklore (eating ladybirds as a toothache cure) and its UK conservation remark are not used. European Journal of Entomology (Hodek & Michaud 2008, Czech Academy of Sciences / Kansas State University) Where ADW: Reproduction (text and data table); Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text; Woodland Trust: How do 7-spot ladybirds breed?; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Abstract of a point-of-view review ('Why is Coccinella septempunctata so successful?'); the full text was not read.
Movement	Adults fly and are highly mobile, and some migrate to dormancy sites: huge numbers occupy one hill in a mountainous area of southern Turkey each year, where a June increase may be due to a new generation arriving from lowland breeding sites. Large larvae may travel up to 12 m in search of prey.At that site the beetles were clearly more abundant at the top of the hill than lower down, in accordance with the hypothesis that beetles migrating to dormancy sites are strongly attracted to the highest altitudes. A British account says large numbers of ladybirds can fly across the Channel from the continent when summer conditions are suitable.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, European Journal of Entomology (Hodek & Michaud 2008, Czech Academy of Sciences / Kansas State University), European Journal of Entomology (Güven, Göllüoğlu & Ceryngier 2015), Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018) — how we know Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Behavior; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract; Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. European Journal of Entomology (Hodek & Michaud 2008, Czech Academy of Sciences / Kansas State University) Where ADW: Behavior; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract; Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Abstract of a point-of-view review ('Why is Coccinella septempunctata so successful?'); the full text was not read. European Journal of Entomology (Güven, Göllüoğlu & Ceryngier 2015) Where ADW: Behavior; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract; Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Abstract of a two-year study (2008-2009) at one hill (Uludaz Hill, Çimen Mountain, Kahramanmaraş Province); regional only; the full text was not read. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Behavior; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract; Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018) Where ADW: Behavior; Hodek & Michaud 2008: abstract; Güven et al. 2015: title, abstract; Cornell: Life Cycle; GWCT: text Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits First-person column by a GWCT advisor (Peter Thompson) for a British audience; it cites no data for its aphid figures, and its Channel-crossing sentence speaks of ladybirds in general. Its newspaper anecdote about 'biting hordes' is not used as a fact.
Human interaction	Introduced to North America and used across the US to control aphids. In eastern South Dakota, three native lady beetles declined drastically or effectively disappeared from farmland following its establishment in the 1980s. Beetles accidentally caught with crops can taint the taste of wine.sources disagreeThe first established population (New Jersey, early 1970s) apparently arose from an accidental introduction; a researcher quoted in a USDA Agricultural Research article reports evidence that it first became established from insects that arrived on their own. It may be a more effective predator than some native lady beetles, displacing them in some areas. Handled ladybirds release a yellow fluid from their joints that can stain the hands.	Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine), Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America, Missouri Department of Conservation (Field Guide), Frontiers in Conservation Science (Hesler & Beckendorf 2021, USDA-ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota), The Wildlife Trusts — how we know What each reading says several intentional US introductions between 1951 and 1971 for biological control of aphids — Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Geographic Range imported and released as early as 1959; evidence indicates it first became established from insects that arrived on their own — USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine), USDA-ARS magazine article, section Pioneering Predators Accounts differ on when deliberate releases in the United States began: between 1951 and 1971 in one account, as early as 1959 in another. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where ADW: Geographic Range, Economic Importance for Humans; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Cornell: introduction; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Frontiers: Abstract; Wildlife Trusts: Did you know? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section. USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine) Where ADW: Geographic Range, Economic Importance for Humans; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Cornell: introduction; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Frontiers: Abstract; Wildlife Trusts: Did you know? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits March 1995 feature article ('Tiny Lady Beetles Have Big Biocontrol Potential') mostly about Harmonia axyridis and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata; only its paragraph on the seven-spotted lady beetle is used. Its reflex-bleeding, aggregation and removal remarks concern H. axyridis or lady beetles in general and are not used. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America Where ADW: Geographic Range, Economic Importance for Humans; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Cornell: introduction; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Frontiers: Abstract; Wildlife Trusts: Did you know? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used. Missouri Department of Conservation (Field Guide) Where ADW: Geographic Range, Economic Importance for Humans; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Cornell: introduction; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Frontiers: Abstract; Wildlife Trusts: Did you know? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Short state field-guide entry; no author or date. 'Said to be the most common lady beetle in Europe' is reported speech and is not used. It describes a flat underside, while ADW calls the ventral side of the abdomen convex; neither is used. Frontiers in Conservation Science (Hesler & Beckendorf 2021, USDA-ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota) Where ADW: Geographic Range, Economic Importance for Humans; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Cornell: introduction; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Frontiers: Abstract; Wildlife Trusts: Did you know? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits Primary study of coccinellids in crops and restored prairie of east-central South Dakota (2007-2020); its statements about the 1980s declines summarize earlier work (Elliott et al. 1996) and describe association, not proven cause. Regional only. The Wildlife Trusts Where ADW: Geographic Range, Economic Importance for Humans; USDA-ARS: Pioneering Predators; Cornell: introduction; Missouri Department of Conservation: Description; Frontiers: Abstract; Wildlife Trusts: Did you know? Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-20 Limits UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its warning-color and 'controlled bleeding' sentences are written about ladybirds in general on this species' page. Its statement about a species migrating to the UK every spring is ambiguous and is not used; its garden advice and conservation-status field are not used.

Not stated here, and why

Body mass— no source accepted yet: No accepted source read gives a body mass for any life stage: ADW, Cornell, the Missouri Department of Conservation, The Wildlife Trusts, the Woodland Trust, GWCT and the European Journal of Entomology abstracts give lengths only or no size at all. A Rothamsted Repository abstract (Zhou et al. 1995) says dry weight and fat weight of overwintering adults were measured and that females were heavier than males, but gives no figures; other search results were research-paper PDFs that were not read.

References for the facts above

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: identification, native and introduced range, habitat, diet, adult and egg length, lifespan (conflicting reading), daytime activity and flight, mating system, overwintering groups, egg output (conflicting reading), introductions to the US (conflicting reading), use in biological control, wine taint. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Student-written account (Tatia Bauer, University of Michigan Biological Station), last updated 2013-04-24. It disagrees with itself: its text gives 250 to 500 eggs over a female's lifespan, its data table 200 to 1000 eggs per season; its text puts sexual maturity at 10 to 14 days after emergence, its table 8.5 to 9.3 days for males (maturity ages are not used). Not used: its 'sexes alike' and 'hibernation' tags, the elevation range (sea level to 1500 m), the statement that defensive chemicals can make up 20% of body weight, the general statement that native lady beetles are 'being driven away', and its conservation section.
UniversityCornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North AmericaSupports: introduction to North America and spread, displacement of native lady beetles in some areas, identification, adult and egg length, crops used, prey, egg output (conflicting reading), egg placement, larval and pupal duration, generations per year, adult lifespan (conflicting reading), larval movement. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Text taken from Hoffmann & Frodsham (1993), Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests (Cornell Cooperative Extension); no date for the web page. It gives two different larval lengths (growing to 7-8 mm; growing from about 1 mm to 4-7 mm), so larval length is not used. Its pesticide, conservation-practice and commercial-availability notes are not used.
GovernmentUSDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine)Supports: first US imports and releases (conflicting reading), occurrence throughout the United States, aphid prey, establishment from insects that arrived on their own. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: March 1995 feature article ('Tiny Lady Beetles Have Big Biocontrol Potential') mostly about Harmonia axyridis and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata; only its paragraph on the seven-spotted lady beetle is used. Its reflex-bleeding, aggregation and removal remarks concern H. axyridis or lady beetles in general and are not used.
GovernmentMissouri Department of Conservation (Field Guide)Supports: identification, native range in Eurasia, intentional introduction to North America and establishment there. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Short state field-guide entry; no author or date. 'Said to be the most common lady beetle in Europe' is reported speech and is not used. It describes a flat underside, while ADW calls the ventral side of the abdomen convex; neither is used.
Wildlife referenceThe Wildlife TrustsSupports: identification (red wing cases, seven spots, patterned thorax), UK habitats, adult length, time of year seen, overwintering in hollow plant stems and in groups, warning coloration, defensive fluid that can stain the hands. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its warning-color and 'controlled bleeding' sentences are written about ladybirds in general on this species' page. Its statement about a species migrating to the UK every spring is ambiguous and is not used; its garden advice and conservation-status field are not used.
Wildlife referenceWoodland TrustSupports: identification of adults and larvae, adult length, UK habitats, diet and a lifetime aphid figure, a 'year-long life' (lifespan reading), UK breeding timing, hibernation sites and spring emergence. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: UK conservation-charity species page; no author or date. Its lifetime aphid figure and 'year-long life' are popular figures without a stated basis. Its folklore (eating ladybirds as a toothache cure) and its UK conservation remark are not used.
Wildlife referenceGame & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018)Supports: British seasonal cycle (overwintering sites, spring activity, May mating, egg batches, hatching, larval feeding period), aphids eaten per larva, per adult and per lifetime, cross-Channel arrivals of ladybirds. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: First-person column by a GWCT advisor (Peter Thompson) for a British audience; it cites no data for its aphid figures, and its Channel-crossing sentence speaks of ladybirds in general. Its newspaper anecdote about 'biting hordes' is not used as a fact.
ReferenceFrontiers in Conservation Science (Hesler & Beckendorf 2021, USDA-ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota)Supports: declines of native lady beetles in eastern South Dakota following the species' establishment in the 1980s; year of establishment there (1987). Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Primary study of coccinellids in crops and restored prairie of east-central South Dakota (2007-2020); its statements about the 1980s declines summarize earlier work (Elliott et al. 1996) and describe association, not proven cause. Regional only.
ReferenceEuropean Journal of Entomology (Hodek & Michaud 2008, Czech Academy of Sciences / Kansas State University)Supports: dependence on aphids for development and reproduction, high mobility, absence of reproductive diapause in males and pre-hibernation mating. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Abstract of a point-of-view review ('Why is Coccinella septempunctata so successful?'); the full text was not read.
ReferenceEuropean Journal of Entomology (Güven, Göllüoğlu & Ceryngier 2015)Supports: migration of adults to high-altitude aestivo-hibernation sites in southern Turkey; June arrivals from lowland breeding sites. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Abstract of a two-year study (2008-2009) at one hill (Uludaz Hill, Çimen Mountain, Kahramanmaraş Province); regional only; the full text was not read.
ReferenceEuropean Journal of Entomology (Honek, Martinková & Pekár 2007, Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague)Supports: small overwintering clumps; hilltop hibernation sites at 400-1500 m in central Europe among grass tussocks or stones. Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: Abstract of a long-term study of three lady beetle species at five central European hibernacula; the full text was not read.
ReferenceIntegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)Supports: identity; jurisdictions where the species is listed as introduced (Canada, continental US, Hawaii). Retrieved 2026-10-20.Limitations: The jurisdiction field covers ITIS's North American and Pacific jurisdictions only; its geographic divisions (Europe & Northern Asia, North America, Oceania) carry no native or introduced status.

Frequently Asked Questions — Seven-Spot Ladybird

Do seven-spot ladybirds always have seven spots?

Usually, but not always: the number of black spots on the wing cases can range from 0 to 9. The usual pattern is three spots on each wing case and one shared spot at the front where they meet.

What do seven-spot ladybirds eat?

Mainly aphids, which adults and larvae both hunt. They also eat other small insects, and adults eat pollen when prey is scarce, but the species cannot develop or reproduce on food other than aphids.

Where do seven-spot ladybirds spend the winter?

Adults pass the winter dormant, often together in groups of around 10 to 15, in sheltered places such as tussocks and dense grass hedgerows, and in Britain outbuildings, cracks in walls, holes in trees and hollow plant stems. In Britain they usually become active again in March or April.

Is the seven-spot ladybird native to North America?

No. It is native to Europe and Asia and was introduced to North America to control aphids; the first established population was found in New Jersey in 1973 and was thought to have arisen from an accidental release.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — Coccinella septempunctata species account — identification, native and introduced range, habitat, diet, adult and egg length, lifespan (conflicting reading), daytime activity and flight, mating system, overwintering groups, egg output (conflicting reading), introductions to the US (conflicting reading), use in biological control, wine taint
UniversityCornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America — Coccinella septempunctata, Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies — introduction to North America and spread, displacement of native lady beetles in some areas, identification, adult and egg length, crops used, prey, egg output (conflicting reading), egg placement, larval and pupal duration, generations per year, adult lifespan (conflicting reading), larval movement
GovernmentUSDA Agricultural Research Service (Agricultural Research magazine) — Lady beetles, Agricultural Research magazine (1995) — first US imports and releases (conflicting reading), occurrence throughout the United States, aphid prey, establishment from insects that arrived on their own
GovernmentMissouri Department of Conservation (Field Guide) — Seven-spotted lady beetle, Missouri field guide — identification, native range in Eurasia, intentional introduction to North America and establishment there
Wildlife referenceThe Wildlife Trusts — 7-spot ladybird (The Wildlife Trusts) — identification (red wing cases, seven spots, patterned thorax), UK habitats, adult length, time of year seen, overwintering in hollow plant stems and in groups, warning coloration, defensive fluid that can stain the hands
Wildlife referenceWoodland Trust — 7-spot ladybird (Woodland Trust) — identification of adults and larvae, adult length, UK habitats, diet and a lifetime aphid figure, a 'year-long life' (lifespan reading), UK breeding timing, hibernation sites and spring emergence
Wildlife referenceGame & Wildlife Conservation Trust (Species of the Month, January 2018) — Seven-spot ladybird, species of the month (GWCT) — British seasonal cycle (overwintering sites, spring activity, May mating, egg batches, hatching, larval feeding period), aphids eaten per larva, per adult and per lifetime, cross-Channel arrivals of ladybirds
ReferenceFrontiers in Conservation Science (Hesler & Beckendorf 2021, USDA-ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota) — Hesler & Beckendorf 2021, lady beetles in eastern South Dakota — declines of native lady beetles in eastern South Dakota following the species' establishment in the 1980s; year of establishment there (1987)
ReferenceEuropean Journal of Entomology (Hodek & Michaud 2008, Czech Academy of Sciences / Kansas State University) — Hodek & Michaud 2008, why the seven-spot ladybird is so successful — dependence on aphids for development and reproduction, high mobility, absence of reproductive diapause in males and pre-hibernation mating
ReferenceEuropean Journal of Entomology (Güven, Göllüoğlu & Ceryngier 2015) — Güven et al. 2015, summer and winter dormancy in southern Turkey — migration of adults to high-altitude aestivo-hibernation sites in southern Turkey; June arrivals from lowland breeding sites
ReferenceEuropean Journal of Entomology (Honek, Martinková & Pekár 2007, Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague) — Honek et al. 2007, aggregation at hibernation sites — small overwintering clumps; hilltop hibernation sites at 400-1500 m in central Europe among grass tussocks or stones
ReferenceIntegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) — Coccinella septempunctata, TSN 114347 — identity; jurisdictions where the species is listed as introduced (Canada, continental US, Hawaii)