Most ladybugs are shiny red, orange or black with red or yellow markings. Both adults and larva are predators, mostly of plant-damaging aphids. This beneficial property has led to their use as biological control agents, and the introduction of the Asian ladybug to The United States was one such deployment. These "invaders" have very quickly become the dominant ladybug species in North America. They have come to rival the boxelder bug as an annoying pest seeking to overwinter in our houses. Ladybugs often overwinter as adults in large swarms under fallen leaves, bark, or inside outbuildings. The active spindle-shaped larvae are usually covered with spines and are brightly colored in their own right. During the Middle Ages, these beetles were used to control aphid infestations of grapevines in vinyards; in appreciation, they were dedicated to "Our Lady," hence the common name. In The U.K. they are known as ladybird beetles. |
