Ladybug Beetle Vs Ladybug Bug

ladybug beetle

Ladybugs are among the most beloved garden insects. These polka-dotted spies attack and consume a wide range of harmful garden pests, especially aphids. Unfortunately, our favorite ladybugs are being replaced by their Asian cousins, which are invasive and don’t provide the same benefits to our gardens. Fortunately, it’s easy to tell the difference between the two!

The term ladybug is often used interchangeably with ladybug beetle. But “beetle” is more scientifically accurate. Ladybugs are in the order Coleoptera, which also includes true bugs (Hemiptera) and bees, ants and wasps.

While most people associate the name ladybug with the color-coordinated insect, the beetles actually come in a variety of colors and patterns, as well as sizes. Generally, they are 1/4 to 3/8″ long and vary in shape from round to oval to convex. The common black-and-red seven-spotted lady beetle is an example of a highly variable species. Other examples include the convergent lady beetle, which has several bands of colors on its wings; the twice-stabbed lady beetle, which has distinct markings on its head that look like cheeks; and the multicolored Asian lady beetle, which may have different spots and markings.

Lady beetles can feed on a broad spectrum of plants, from grasses and legumes to flowering crops and vegetables. They are particularly effective predators of aphids, but they will also eat mites, scale insects, thrips and the eggs of moths and beetles. They can even be cannibalistic if aphids are scarce.

Adults are good fliers and during the growing season readily move between plants in search of prey. They are also attracted to light and will gather together in sunny areas. When the weather turns cold, they are good scavengers and will search out logs, rocks, piles of leaves or other shelters in which to overwinter.

The life cycle of lady beetles varies between species, but the majority will produce multiple generations per year. Larvae are active feeders, and they are good fliers as well. Once they have reached their full size, they will attach themselves to a plant on which to pupate. Young larvae pierce their prey with their heads and suck the contents out, but older larvae chew and sometimes consume entire insects.

The 13 lady beetle species in Florida belong to the genus Coccinella, and most will devour aphids. However, the populations of native Coccinella are declining while those of non-native, invasive Asian species are rapidly increasing, reports the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center. In the future, it’s likely that we will see more competition between native and invasive lady beetle species for food sources in our gardens. To help reduce this competition, we can all work to keep aphids under control. This can be done by using beneficial nematodes, which are natural predators of aphids and other damaging pests, or by applying chemical insecticides only as a last resort. In this case, the recommended field rate of carbaryl or methamidophos should be sufficient to control aphid populations and other targeted pests in our gardens.