Ladybugs are also known as ladybirds or lady beetles. These tiny creatures have bright red oval body shape with black spots. But ladybugs also come in other colors such as orange, grey, white, yellow, and pink.
There are over 6,000 ladybugs species in the world. The United States of America alone has about 150 species of ladybirds. The most common types of ladybugs are California lady beetle, pink spotted lady beetle, Cardinal ladybird, 22-spot ladybug, and Convergent ladybug.
The information in this guide highlights pictures of different kinds of ladybugs with their respective characteristics. I have also shared something on bugs that look like ladybugs but aren’t. Take the time to read through for detailed insights on rare types of ladybugs.
Different Types of Ladybugs with Location
Ladybirds belong to the Insecta class, Coccinellidae family, Hippodamia genus, and convergens species. The convergens species are further classified into sub-species leading to different types of ladybugs chart.
Convergent Ladybug (Hippodamia convergens)
It is the most common lady beetle that hails from North America. The ladybug has a dark orange oval body with twelve dark spots of varying sizes on the dome-shaped back.
The ladybird has an average body size of 4-7mm. Convergent ladybugs help control aphids, whiteflies, and other insect populations on houseplants.
California Lady Beetle (Coccinella californica)
These are types of ladybugs in California with red dome-shaped backs without black spots. The ladybug species has a dark line running down the middle of the back.
California lady beetle has a black head with white spots on either side. The average size of this lady beetle is about 5mm.
Seven-Spotted Ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)
It is the most common lady beetle that hails from Europe. Many people in the United States of America usually refer to a C-7 ladybug.
The lady beetle has seven black spots on its back. A large black dot occurs in the middle behind the pronotum, and the other six smaller black dots on either side of wing covers.
The C-7 ladybug has a black head and happens to be the biggest since it has an average size of 10mm (Adults). It also has some close similarities to the California ladybug.
22-Spot Ladybug (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata)
It is the most beautiful ladybug species in the world. Thanks to its bright yellow colors and 22 black spots on the dome-shaped back.
The ladybird has five black spots on the pronotum and happens to be the smallest species. It has an average size of 5mm, and it is ideal for eating mildew that grows on houseplants.
Cardinal Ladybug (Vedalia Ladybug)
The ladybird has a black body with striking red markings on its back. These colorations make this lady beetle not resemble other species.
Cardinal ladybug hails from Australia and has an average size range of 2-4mm. The ladybug species is ideal for controlling mite infestations on orchards in Australia and California.
Pink Spotted Lady Beetle (Coleomegilla maculate)
The lady beetle is also called a twelve-spotted ladybug. The lady beetle has an oblong body shape with six black marks on each pink-colored wing cover.
The pink-spotted lady beetle hails along the coastline regions in the United States. The species is ideal for controlling Colorado potato beetles infestation.
28-Spotted Potato Ladybug (Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata)
The lady beetle is also called Hadda beetle. The 28-spotted potato ladybug feeds on potato crops, and this is the reason behind the name potato ladybug.
The species has a yellow-orange-colored body with 14 black marks on each wing cover. It also has a small head with a large oval body shape.
Hadda beetle hails from India and is also prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere countries. The species is known for damaging potato crops.
Two-Spotted Ladybug (Adalia bipunctata)
The two-spotted ladybug has red coloration with two black spots on its back. The two white spots on the pronotum make this red species conspicuous.
The two large white spots look like large eyes. The ladybird species is common in North America and Europe to control crop pests.
Twenty-Spotted Ladybug (Psyllobora vigintimaculata)
The cream-colored back with brown markings makes this beetle unique from other species in the world. It has an average size of 2-3 mm.
Twenty-spotted lady beetle belongs to the rare types of ladybugs. It is difficult to spot this species anywhere in Europe and North America.
Orange-Spotted Ladybug (Brachiacantha ursina)
The orange-spotted body beetle is also called the ursine spur leg lady beetle. It is a rare kind of ladybug species with an oval body and dome-shaped back.
Each wing cover has some yellow or orange markings. The average size of an orange-spotted ladybug is about 3-4mm.
Three-Branded Ladybug (Coccinella trifasciata)
The beetle has three black bands around the orange body. It has from North America and looks like a tiger. It is the smallest type of ladybird with an average size of 4mm.
Eye-Spotted Ladybug (Anatis mali)
It is a large ladybug with distinct markings all over its body. Each wing cover has several markings that resemble tiny eyes.
The eye-spotted ladybug hails from Northern Europe and has an average size of 7-10mm. The ladybug species is suitable for controlling mite infestations on houseplants.
Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle (Anatis labiculata)
The lady beetle has a white body coloring with black markings. It has a round and oval body shape with black marks on either side of the wing covers.
Some 15-spotted lady beetle has a deep purple body with yellow-orange marks along the pronotum. The average size of this ladybug species is 7-9mm.
Fourteen-Spotted Ladybird (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata)
The ladybug species comes in over 100 varieties of colors and pattern variations. The most common 14-spotted lady beetles have cream to yellow to orange body colors.
The dome-shaped back has 14 black rectangular spots fused at the midline. The antennae and legs are yellowish-brown.
Thirteen-Spotted Ladybug (Hippodamia tredecimpunctata)
The lady beetle has a dome-shaped back with an oval body, antennae, and short legs. These beetles are mostly red or orange with thirteen black spots on either side of the wing cover.
The larvae have flattened back covered with minute spines. The ladybirds lay eggs in a group of 10-50 underneath the leaf surface.
What Are the Characteristics of Ladybugs?
Ladybugs have flecks on the upper parts of the wings, and they come in pink, red, black, yellow, or white. Research shows that lady beetles have over 13 specifications on the upper wing parts.
Most ladybugs have red colors with black spots. But there are some species with black bodies and red spots or white bodies and black markings with the average size of 1mm to 10mm.
All ladybugs are flying insects which is the reason behind the name ladybirds. Keep in mind that some bugs look like ladybugs but aren’t classified as so.
Examples of fake ladybugs are scarlet lily beetle, Colorado potato beetle, and clerid beetle. They have close similarities to ladybugs in terms of features.
Ladybugs help to kill spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, Colorado potato beetles larvae, and mealybugs that destroy houseplants and crops.
About 90% of ladybugs are predators that help keep down the aphid population. They are beneficial insects and harmless to humans.
Examples of destructive ladybugs are Mexican bean beetle and Asian lady beetle. They are types of ladybugs that bite.
What Is the Life Cycle of Ladybugs?
A complete life cycle of ladybugs takes around four weeks to result in a new generation over the summer. An adult ladybug lays 10-50 groups of eggs underneath the leaf surface.
These eggs hatch into slender, elongated, and soft-bodied convergen larva. These larvas are usually grey, with spots of red, blue, green, and black splattered across them.
The larval stage is a destructive phase since these creatures will feed on the crops to grow and molt around four times within a month.
The pupal phase is the last stage of the ladybug life cycle, and it is followed by instant mating to result in eggs production. The pupal phase is a resting stage with no destruction to the crops.
Ladybugs feed on aphids and hibernate during winter. Insufficient food supply will make the female ladybugs delay laying eggs for about nine months.
What Types of Ladybugs Are Poisonous?
Black ladybugs with small red spots (pine ladybirds) are the most poisonous species and can cause allergic reactions.
Brown ladybugs are the least toxic since they rely on camouflage to hide predators. Orange-tinted ladybirds have toxins in their bodies that can cause allergic reactions to humans.
Red ladybugs are predators and non-toxic to humans. But they release an unpleasant smell when threatened and leave behind yellowish-red fluid after being crushed.
What Is the Rarest Ladybug?
A tan pinhead-size ladybug species is the rarest in the world. A male lady beetle is collected in Montana and a female counterpart in Idaho. (Source: Reuters).
In Conclusion
I hope the pictures of different kinds of ladybugs in this article helped me understand the difference between ladybugs and Asian lady beetle.
An Asian lady beetle is harmful to dogs, can bite, and invade homes. Besides that, it releases yellow fluid with an unpleasing odor. All types of ladybugs are harmless and control garden pests.
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