Ladybugs of New York

Native ladybugs are disappearing across North America! In just the last 20 years some of these beneficial predators of farm and garden pests have become very rare. This rapid decline is of great concern. If we can find where the rare Lost Ladybugs still live, we could learn why this happened to save them. From the Lost Ladybug Project website (lostladybug.org) you can learn how to be a "spotter" and send images to our database. Every ladybug you find (400+ species in the United States), rare or common, native or exotic, is important. They give us important clues to solve the mystery of how ladybugs became "lost" and how to save them.

Lost Ladybugs

Transverse Ladybug

Coccinella transversoguttata

  • 6.40 mm (1/4 in)

Two-spotted Ladybug

Adalia bipunctata

  • Small
  • Has 2 or 4 spots
  • 4.35 mm (3/16 in)

Nine-spotted Ladybug

Coccinella novemnotata

  • 4 + 1 + 4 = 9 spots
  • Dark middle line
  • 5.85 mm (1/4 in)
Few words here about the causes and consequences of "lost" ladybugs' decline.

Native Ladybugs

Parenthesis Ladybug

Hippodamia parenthesis

  • Parenthesis pattern on wing covering
  • 4.70 mm (3/16 in)

Three-banded Ladybug

Coccinella trifasciata

  • Has bands instead of spots
  • 4.50 mm (3/16 in)

Pink Spotted Ladybug

Coleomegilla maculata

  • Pink
  • Also has spots on pronotum*
  • 5.40 mm (3/16 in)

Polished Ladybug

Cycloneda munda

  • No spots
  • Striking pattern on pronotum
  • 4.70 mm (3/16 in)

Introduced Ladybugs

Seven-spotted Ladybug

Coccinella septempunctata

  • Big
  • 3 + 1 + 3 = 7 spots
  • 7.15 mm (1/4 in)

Multicolored Asian Ladybug

Harmonia axyridis

  • Big
  • Often pale
  • W pattern on pronotum
  • 6.12 mm (1/4 in)

Variegated Ladybug

Hippodamia variegata

  • Pronotum is fringed with white spots
  • 4.70 mm (3/16 in)

Fourteen-spotted Ladybug

Propylea quatuordecimpunctata

  • Yellow
  • Square checkerboard-like spots
  • 4.35 mm (3/16 in)