Twice-stabbed Lady Beetle

Natural Habitat

Found in forests, orchards, and gardens throughout North America, often on the trunks and twigs of trees and shrubs.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous; both larvae and adults feed primarily on scale insects (such as pine needle scale and beach scale) and aphids.

Behavior Patterns

They are active during the day. After mating, females lay eggs under the protective wax of scale insects, ensuring the larvae have an immediate food source upon hatching. They undergo complete metamorphosis.

Risks & Benefits

Highly beneficial to the ecosystem and agriculture as natural pest controllers. They pose no significant risk to humans, though they may rarely nipping if handled roughly; they are not venomous.

Identified on: 4/24/2026