Subject: Asian or native ladybug?
Geographic location of the bug: North Carolina
Date: 11/05/2017
Time: 05:06 PM EDT
I’ve tried to find side-by-side comparisons of the native ladybugs and Asian ladybugs without success. Can you tell me which this one is? I suspect it is Asian. I have several around my garden, some still in larval form and others pupating. Also, we are having a mild November, but do you know if these will overwinter with me? Thanks a lot!
How you want your letter signed: C. Hall
Dear C. Hall,
In our opinion, this looks like a Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle larva. This species has larger and often more aggressive larvae that out compete, and even feed upon the larvae of native Lady Beetles, which may eventually lead to displacement of native species.