Asian Lady Beetle (or Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle)
Scientific Name: Harmonia axyridis
Order & Family: Order: Coleoptera; Family: Coccinellidae
Size: 5.5–8.5 mm (approximately 0.2 to 0.3 inches)
Natural Habitat
Found in gardens, orchards, agricultural fields, and frequently inside homes during cold weather.
Diet & Feeding
Mainly aphids and other soft-bodied insects like scale insects and psyllids.
Behavior Patterns
Active during the day; notable for their tendency to congregate in large numbers on buildings and enter homes for overwintering. They exhibit incomplete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Risks & Benefits
Benefits: Highly effective natural pest control in gardens and farms. Risks: Can become a nuisance pest indoors; may bite and can release a yellowish, foul-smelling fluid (reflex bleeding) that stains surfaces and can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Identified on: 2/4/2026