Are Asian ladybettles a pest? - Ask Extension
I happened to notice what I thought was a lady bug is not. Are these common? Good, neutral, bad? I found a few mostly on my apple tree.
Knowledgebase
Are Asian ladybettles a pest? #867059
Asked May 04, 2024, 9:10 PM EDT
I happened to notice what I thought was a lady bug is not. Are these common? Good, neutral, bad? I found a few mostly on my apple tree.
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
Asian lady beetles vary in appearance, but generally have a black M on their thorax just above the wings. From your pictures I can't verify that is the case. Here is in article from Purdue to help with your ID of the insect.
https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-214/E-214.html#:~:text=The%20most%20apparent%20identifying%20character,of%20the%20Asian%20lady%20beetle.
If it is an Asian lady beetle, they will eat aphids and help keep pests down in your garden, just as our native lady beetles do. However they do have an annoying habit of trying to move indoors in the fall and clustering in building cracks, attics and garages. Apparently they can also eat raspberries that may have had an entry created by another insect. Here is a (very!) thorough article on the habit and life of this insect:
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-44
So deciding on whether they are a pest or not would somewhat depend on how they are behaving--especially if they are congregating indoors!
https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-214/E-214.html#:~:text=The%20most%20apparent%20identifying%20character,of%20the%20Asian%20lady%20beetle.
If it is an Asian lady beetle, they will eat aphids and help keep pests down in your garden, just as our native lady beetles do. However they do have an annoying habit of trying to move indoors in the fall and clustering in building cracks, attics and garages. Apparently they can also eat raspberries that may have had an entry created by another insect. Here is a (very!) thorough article on the habit and life of this insect:
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-44
So deciding on whether they are a pest or not would somewhat depend on how they are behaving--especially if they are congregating indoors!
Amazing info! Thanks so much.
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