I was looking at one of my citrus trees a few days ago and was so excited to see something I had not seen in quite a while – a ladybug! Then I noticed it didn’t quite look like what I think of as a ladybug. It was orange in color and had a lot of spots. So, what was it?

A ladybug is actually a lady beetle. What we often think of as a ladybug is just one type of lady beetle, of which there are about 5,000 species worldwide. A lot of what we’ve seen in our area lately are Asian lady beetles. They look very similar to ladybugs. However, they may or may not have spots, they are often orange in color (though there are many color variations), and they have a W or M shape on their head (see the picture below).

Ladybugs and Asian lady beetles come from the same family – Coccinellidae. Both ladybugs and Asian lady beetles are beneficial for controlling aphids and other garden pests. Ladybugs are native, though, and Asian lady beetles were introduced to our area and are considered an invasive species that can displace many of our native ladybugs. They will bite, though not poisonous, and smell bad if you squish them. Ladybugs seldom bite and if they do, it isn’t overtly noticeable. Ladybugs prefer to find shelter outside for the winter, while Asian lady beetles will often try to come indoors. They can be a nuisance gathering around windows and doors. 

I’ve noticed, as you may have, that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of ladybugs around anymore. This could be due, in part, to an increased use of pesticides and a loss of habitat. But their numbers have most likely decreased due to the displacement from Asian lady beetles. 

So, if you see what you think is a ladybug  – it has only a few spots, is a beautiful red color, and does not have an M or W on its head – consider yourself lucky! Sadly, our ladybugs are slowly being pushed out of their native homes by Asian lady beetles.

Smith County Master Gardeners are volunteer educators, certified and coordinated by the Texas A&M AgriLife extension service

Terri Scamardo
Smith County Master Gardener