Ladybirds, called ladybugs or lady beetles in North America, are beetles of the family Coccinellidae. Most species are predators. Both adults and the alligator-shaped larvae eat aphids, and the larvae usually eat more. The convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens) is the species most often sold; the mealybug destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) is a specialist used against mealybugs.
In practice
Many commercially sold convergent lady beetles are collected from wild overwintering sites, and released adults tend to fly away within days, especially outdoorsbeing reviewed. Indoors, releasing them at dusk after misting plants, and closing vents, keeps more of them on the crop. Their best role is as a supplement on visible aphid colonies, alongside parasitic wasps and lacewings. Wild ladybirds arriving outdoors are a good sign; avoid broad-spectrum sprays that kill them. Larvae look nothing like adults, so learn to recognise them before squashing "pests".
Don't confuse with
- Lacewing larvae: also called aphid lions, with sickle-shaped jaws.
- Asian lady beetle: Harmonia axyridis, a predator that can become a nuisance indoors.
- Mexican bean beetle: a plant-eating coccinellid, not a beneficial.
