The ladybug, from the family Coccinellidae, includes roughly 5,000 beetle species. The name "ladybug" originated in the Middle Ages, when it was called “beetle of Our Lady” and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Ladybugs are typically 8 to 10 mm long and have a hemispheric shape, short legs, and bright colors with black, yellow, or reddish markings. The color of their wing covers and number of spots differ among species. Ladybugs help control insect pests such as aphids , scale, and mites. Farmers and gardeners often gather and sell clusters of ladybugs for this purpose. The convergent ladybug 's larvae can eat 300 aphids in two weeks.

What do ladybugs look like?

Ladybugs, also known as ladybird beetles, are insects recognized for their hemispherical shape and small size, typically ranging from 8 to 10 mm in length. They usually display bright colors with black, yellow, or reddish markings and have short legs. The color of their wing covers and the number of spots on them differ among the various species. For example, the nine-spotted ladybird beetle has a distinct pattern of four black spots on each reddish-orange wing cover and one shared spot. The larvae are long, slender, and soft-bodied, usually gray with blue, green, red, or black spots.

Where do ladybugs live?

Ladybugs live in a variety of habitats where their prey, such as aphids, scale insects, and mites, are plentiful. They are frequently spotted on leaves and twigs, where they deposit their eggs. The convergent ladybug, for instance, inhabits California's valley regions, breeding in early spring before migrating to the Sierra Nevada mountains for the summer. During the winter, large groups of adult ladybugs hibernate together in the same location, often congregating in forest litter at lower altitudes. Farmers and gardeners often use ladybugs to manage insect pests in agricultural settings.

What do ladybugs eat?

Ladybugs are carnivorous insects that are considered beneficial due to their appetite for plant-damaging pests. Both ladybug larvae and adults eat insect pests such as aphids , scale, and mites. A single larva of the convergent ladybug ( Hippodamia convergens ) can eat 300 aphids in two weeks, while an adult female can devour several thousand aphids in her three-month lifespan. However, some ladybugs feed on plants and can be quite destructive, such as the squash beetle ( Epilachna borealis ) and the Mexican bean beetle ( E. varivestis ).

How do ladybugs help plants and gardens?

Ladybugs help plants and gardens by preying on harmful insects. Both ladybug larvae and adults eat aphids , scale, and mites, which can damage plants. For example, a single larva of the convergent ladybug can eat 300 aphids in two weeks, while an adult female can devour several thousand in her three-month life. Gardeners and farmers often buy ladybugs to control these types of infestations. The larvae of ladybugs also feed on insect pests and their eggs. However, some ladybugs feed on plants and can be destructive, like the squash beetle and the Mexican bean beetle.

What is the life cycle of a ladybug?

The life cycle of a ladybug takes about four weeks, allowing for multiple generations each summer. Ladybugs undergo complete metamorphosis , starting as an egg. Female ladybugs deposit their eggs on leaves or twigs near aphid colonies, which serve as a food source for the larvae after hatching. The larvae are soft-bodied and consume aphids, scale insects, or insect eggs. For instance, a single larva of the convergent ladybug can eat 300 aphids in two weeks. After four growth stages, the larvae pupate within their last larval skin. Adult ladybugs often hibernate in large groups during winter.

ladybug

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Images

Close-up of a black ladybug with red and orange markings on its back, perched on a green plant stem.

A red and black ladybug eats green aphids on a blade of grass, with more aphids lined up ahead on the stem against a blurred green background.

Illustration of a 12-spotted ladybird beetle, Hippodamia convergens, showing an oval red-orange body with twelve distinct black spots and six black legs.

Quick Facts

Also called:: ladybird beetle

Related Topics:: Mexican bean beetle; vedalia beetle; squash beetle; convergent ladybug; nine-spotted ladybird beetle

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ladybug

insect

Also known as: Coccinellidae, coccinellid, ladybird beetle

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 14, 2026 •History

Physical description

Ladybugs are hemispheric in shape and usually 8 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 inch) long. They have short legs and are usually brightly colored with black, yellow, or reddish markings. The color of the wing covers and number of spots vary among species. The pattern of the nine-spotted ladybird beetle (Coccinella novemnotata), which has four black spots on each reddish orange wing cover (elytron) and one shared spot, is an example of the typical color pattern of ladybird beetles.

Did you know?

The familiar children’s rhyme “Ladybug ladybug, fly away home / Your house is on fire, your children do roam” was a reference to the burning of the hop vines in England that took place following the harvest to clear the fields.

Life cycle and natural history

The typical life cycle requires about four weeks, so that several generations are produced each summer. Female ladybugs lay their eggs on leaves or twigs where aphids or other prey are feeding. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed upon aphids, scale, or insect eggs using chewing mandibles. The long, slender, soft-bodied larvae are usually gray with blue, green, red, or black spots, and feed voraciously. A single larva of the convergent ladybug (Hippodamia convergens), for example, can consume 300 aphids in a two week developmental period (the adult female devours several thousand aphids in her three month life). The larvae pass through four growth stages and then attach to some object and pupate in their last larval skin. Large groups of adult ladybugs usually hibernate together each winter at the same location.

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Some ladybug species are known for their migration patterns. The convergent ladybug, for example, lives in valley regions of California, where the eggs hatch in March or April and develop into adults one month later. In early summer they migrate to the mountains, particularly to the Sierra Nevada, where they may lay eggs if food is abundant and the weather warm. Generally, however, the adults gather in clusters and remain inactive until October, when rains initiate a period of activity, after which they travel to lower altitudes and hide in forest litter, passing the winter in a state of dormancy. As many as 30,000,000 ladybugs may congregate on a quarter acre. In spring they mate, fly back to the valleys, lay their eggs, and die.

Beneficial insects

Clusters of ladybugs are often gathered and sold to farmers and gardeners to control such insect pests as aphids, scale, and mites. The Australian ladybird beetle, or vedalia beetle (Rodolia cardinalis), was brought to western North America to help combat an outbreak of cottony-cushion scale (Icerya purchasi), which threatened to ruin citrus orchards. Both the larvae and adults of the convergent ladybug are also important aphid predators.

Although most ladybugs and their larvae are carnivorous, several feed on plants and are quite destructive. Two of these are the squash beetle (Epilachna borealis) and the Mexican bean beetle (E. varivestis).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.

ladybug

Physical description

Life cycle and natural history

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Beneficial insects