Bug Found on our Milkweed
Sun, May 24, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Found this bug on our milkweed plants. We had Monarch eggs and caterpillars but now there are none. Is this a bug we should suspect has hurt our Monarch eggs and caterpillars? What is this bug?
Ira in Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Ladybird Larva
Dear Ira,
This is the larva of a Ladybird Beetle or Lady Bug. The presence of this larva indicates that there are probably Aphids on your milkweed. The Ladybird Larva will eat Aphids, but it will not bother the Monarch Caterpillars. You must have another culprit.
¶ Posted 24 May 2009 § ‡ ° Ladybug with 12 white spots?
Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 2:27 AM
Hi
I found this in my house.
Can you tell me what kind of bug it is?
Kind regards
Vamdrup, Denmark
Cream Spot Ladybird
Dear Reader,
Though your letter specifies 12 spots, we believe this is a Cream Spot Ladybird, Calvia quatuordecimguttata, which is reported to have 14 spots. We count 14 spots including the two on the pronotum. It is a common European species according to Ladybirds of Western Europe website. We also located a pdf that has images of European Ladybirds: ladybird-descriptiona22d8d.
Cream Spot Ladybird
¶ Posted 13 April 2009 § ‡ ° Twice-stabbed Ladybug?
Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 10:21 AM
I believe this is a twice-stabbed ladybug. I did not see a photo on your ladybug page of this species. It was photographed in southern Utah.
Mieander
Southern Utah
Ladybird Beetle
Hi Mieander,
While it is possible that this is a Twice-Stabbed Ladybird Beetle, Chilocorus stigma , there is another species in the genus that is found in your area that has larger spots. According to BugGuide, Chilocorus cacti, is found in Arizona and New Mexico, but it looks like a better match. The species is associated with Prickly Pear cactus.
¶ Posted 20 November 2008 § ‡ ° What’s this beetle?
Sat, Nov 8, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Unusual beetle found in our home. See attached photo.
Curious.
Mckinleyville, Humboldt County, California.
Unknown Ladybird
Hi Curious,
This is a Ladybird Beetle, and we thought it might be the dark form of the Ashy Gray Ladybird Beetle, Olla v-nigrum, but we no longer think that. There are other similarly marked Ladybirds. You can read more about the Ashy Gray Ladybird on BugGuide. Perhaps a reader can correctly identify this species.
The lady beetle is a remarkable variation of the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis. They just seem to have endless patterns….
Eric
¶ Posted 09 November 2008 § ‡ ° bi-colored Multicoloerd Asian Lady Beetle
Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Before you redesigned your site there was an image from somebody in Florida of a two-tone Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle. By two-toned i mean one side being red and the other was orange. I was not able to relocate that image since your redesign. Do you remember the image? I found one and uploaded it to BugGuide. I included a link to your image as proof that they do exist to help dispel the notion that my image may have been photoshopped.
Here is my image on BugGuide .
http://bugguide.net/node/view/160448 or copy and paste is html isn’t enabled
Ron M.
Kenner, Louisiana
Bicolored Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle
Hi Ron,
We are quite certain that many submissions vanished during our site migration, and we appreciate you bringing this unusual submission to our attention. We had to go to our old Dreamweaver version to locate it, but it has been returned to our Ladybird Beetle category. Thanks for sending your photo as well.
Update: November 23, 2010
This excellent explanation just arrived in the form of a comment: “The right elytron (forewing) of this invasive Harmonia axyridis probably died early, keeping its “young” orange color, while the left continued to store red pigment (caroten).”
¶ Posted 30 October 2008 § ‡ ° Found a cool looking insect
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 4:50 AM
This insect has 6 legs which are yellow in color. It is long compared to how wide it is. It is probably about a cm long or so and a quarter of that wide. The head and neck of it is blue as well as the tail on it. But the very center of it is a very bright yellow with blue in the center and then yellow and blue spikes. Up close the bug looks very hairy but i am not so sure. I found him on a 4×4 post on my fence line, it caught me off guard because of its amazing bright colors. Sorry i cant get a picture right now but i did draw a somewhat childish painting and is attached to image 1. Thank You
Dan Dan the bugman
North America, Michigan
Drawing of a Ladybird Larva
Hi Dan Dan the bugman,
In our ongoing efforts to distinguish ourselves from the plethora of more scientific insect websites in existance by trying to have a more pop culture appeal, we love getting letters like yours with drawings. We believe you have found an immature Ladybird Beetle, or Lady Bug. We have also had them described as looking like alligators. We find your amusing drawing to be a refreshing change from the many anatomically correct insect drawings found in texts.
¶ Posted 13 October 2008 § ‡ ° “Black Ops” Ladybugs in SW Florida
Dear Bugman,
I just love your site– it always inspires me to garden with the camera within easy reach. Yesterday morning I saw this gorgeous black ladybug on my chenille plant. I thought it might be the Twice-Stabbed Ladybug, except that its red spots are up by the head and not on the back. We have nicknamed them “Black Ops” here at my house. The chenille is in full bloom and full of ladybug larva, so I hope to have a bumper crop of these little beauties. Best regards,
Nik
Fort Myers, Florida
Axion tripustulata
We quickly located your Black Ladybird Beetle on BugGuide. It appears to be Axion tripustulata, which sadly does not have a common name, nor is there any other information posted about the species.
¶ Posted 18 September 2008 § ‡ ° Lady Beetle? (Anna, TX)
Location: Anna TX
Hello, and greetings from North Texas,
I seem to have cucumber plants infested with what I am hoping are lady beetles. These are not the usual round little tanks I remember from growing up, but are a bit longer. The cucumber plant is extremely healthy, as are the nearby dill and basil. That is the main reason I’m thinking they are lady beetles. If nothing else, I seem to have a "pink" one. And a really good photo of the red one.
I guess I’m looking for confirmation that these are definitely lady beetles.
Angi
Hi Angi,
These are indeed Spotted Lady Beetles, Coleomegilla maculata.
¶ Posted 02 August 2008 § ‡ ° 
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