Lady Beetles (Lady Bugs)

Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Scientific Name: Various
Color: Red, orange, yellow, brown or shiny black, with various markings
Legs: Six
Shape: Broadly oval to nearly round
Size: 1/32-3/8" long
Antennae: Yes
Flight: Yes

Lady beetles are highly beneficial insects, feeding on aphids, scales and mites. Some species have a habit of overwintering in structures and are therefore nuisance pests. They are found worldwide with about 475 species occurring in the United States and Canada.

Habits
Fed female adult beetles lay yellow oval-shaped eggs in clusters or singly near infestations of aphids or other pests. Larvae hatch from eggs and develop through several molts (instars) until they pupate. Development from egg to adult takes 2 to 3 weeks.

Habitat
Mouthparts are for chewing. Larvae and adults feed primarily on aphids, but they will also feed on scales, eggs of caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects and mites. Adults occasionally feed on nectar, pollen and honeydew (exudate of aphids and other sucking insects). Adults disperse seeking feeding and reproduction sites.

Threats
Beneficial; natural enemy; predaceous adults and larvae; medically harmless.

Control
Outside, none. This is a beneficial insect. Inside control by vacuuming. To help reduce numbers entering a structure, exclude by screening vents, caulking around utility entrances and door/window frames.

(Source: National Pest Management Association, et. al.)