Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Asian Lady Beetles Revisited

"Go ahead, make my day." - Whatsthatbug.com


I have been hearing a lot of comments about Asian lady beetles which are everywhere this time of year as they prepare for winter.  Soon they will be clustered together behind boards, in wood piles and in houses when they find a crack to enter.  A beneficial insect in your garden, they are annoying house guests with a tendency to lightly nibble on your neck.  They also have a bad odor when squished.

"M" is for Asian - extension.umn.edu

Asian lady beetles can be distinguished from our many native varieties by the "M" on the back of their heads.  They typically have 19 spots but this can vary and occasionally they will have no spots at all.

Eggs - Perry Babin CC
It has been three years since we last wrote a blog about these foreign lady beetles. When I started to look at what is new, I came across an old favorite, Shelly Cox at MoBugs who has started blogging again.  Her extensive coverage of these lady beetles blew me away, so I will shut up for the day (welcome news to my friends!) and suggest you go directly to her blog for everything you never asked yourself about them.

See more extensive history and information at this Ohio State University site.