Mealybug Ladybird Larva

Orchards, gardens, and greenhouses where citrus or ornamental plants grow; often found on tree bark or undersides of leaves.

Strictly predatory; primarily feeds on mealybugs and soft scales by piercing their bodies and sucking out fluids.

Larvae exhibit aggressive mimicry by secreting white waxy filaments to look like their mealybug prey, allowing them to move through colonies unnoticed and avoid predation by ants.

Highly beneficial to humans and ecosystems as a biological control agent for pests; they pose no risk to humans or plants.