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Project Noah Nature School
Harmonia axyridis
Larva and adult. These particular lady birds were outside in the back yard in Wading River, NY. This lady beetle was originally introduced to the USA to control aphids and eventually became established. They hibernate in large numbers in the winter, often inside homes. The larva eat more aphids than the adults. The adults have a great variation of patterns, some with many spots, some with none. They also range in color from yellow to red and in between.
When I lived in Maine, the house was invaded by these lady beetles in the winter. Hundreds of them somehow made it inside the sunroom (and from there the rest of the house if they flew), hundreds of them died and made an awful mess. We were vacuuming them up daily (sadly) because if we didn't they would cover the couch, windows, floors with their little dead bodies.
Spotted on Aug 3, 2010
Submitted on May 3, 2012
2 Comments
alicelongmartin, I forgot to note that these photos were from outside in New York in the summer.
Too bad it didn't happen in good weather and you could put them in a natural enviroment. Someone laid eggs in the wrong place.