Lady beetle fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are lady beetles?

Lady beetles, also called ladybirds or ladybugs, are insects in the beetle family Coccinellidae. They have a head, thorax and abdomen, six legs, chewing mouthparts and two pairs of wings. The front pair are hardened wing cases called elytra, which protect the delicate hind wings folded underneath. Many species are small, rounded and brightly coloured, but Australian lady beetles can also be striped, spotted, glossy black or even hairy. At Field of Mars Reserve, lady beetles are found on shrubs, grasses, flowers and trees where small sap-feeding insects such as aphids or scale insects are present.

A lady beetle.

Where do lady beetles live?

Lady beetles live anywhere they can find food and shelter on plants. They are often seen on leaves, stems, flowers, bark and grasses, especially where aphids or scale insects are feeding. At Field of Mars Reserve, likely habitat includes shrub layers, flowering plants, grass tussocks and tree foliage within eucalypt forest, gully forest and other vegetated parts of the reserve. These connected habitats support many small insects, which in turn provide food for lady beetles. Transverse ladybirds live in a variety of garden and bushland habitats.

What do lady beetles eat?

Most lady beetles are carnivores. Both the adults and larvae hunt small soft-bodied insects such as aphids, scale insects and mites. This is why gardeners and farmers often see them as helpful insects. Some species also eat whiteflies, thrips or insect eggs, while adults of some predatory species can supplement their diet with pollen, nectar or sap when prey is scarce. Not every lady beetle is a predator though. A smaller number of species feed on fungi or plants instead.

Lady beetle larvae are predators and commonly feed on small invertebrates.

What is the life cycle of a lady beetle?

Lady beetles go through complete metamorphosis. The female lays eggs, often close to aphid colonies so the young will hatch near food. The larva that emerges looks very different from the adult. It is long, active and often spiny-looking. After feeding and growing, the larva attaches itself to a surface and changes into a pupa. Inside the pupa, the insect transforms into an adult lady beetle, which later emerges with soft wing cases that harden and gain colour.

Lady beetle eggs are often laid near a source of food.

A lady beetle pupa attached to a leaf.

What adaptations do lady beetles have to help them survive?

Lady beetles have several adaptations that help them survive. Their rounded body and hard elytra protect the body and folded hind wings. Many species are brightly coloured, which can act as a warning to predators that they are not good to eat. Their chewing mouthparts help them grab and eat small prey, while their larvae are active hunters that can move through aphid colonies quickly. Adults can also fly to new plants when food runs out. Some native species, such as the common spotted ladybird, live on vegetation across much of eastern and southern Australia where they hunt aphids and scale insects. The bright colours on a common spotted lady beetle exoskeleton can act as a warning to predators.

Why are lady beetles important?

Lady beetles are important predators in food webs. By feeding on aphids, scale insects, mites and other small pests, they help keep insect numbers in balance. This makes them important natural biological control agents in gardens, farms and bushland edges. They are also food for other animals such as birds, spiders and larger insects. Their presence can be a sign that an ecosystem still supports small prey species and the plants those prey depend on. Common spotted lady beetle larvae can help control pest invertebrates in gardens and bushland.

How can you help lady beetles?

You can help lady beetles by growing a diversity of plants, especially flowering native plants and shrubs, and by avoiding unnecessary pesticide use. Flowering plants can provide nectar or pollen for adults, while healthy vegetation supports aphids and other small insects that lady beetles feed on. Leaf litter, bark and dense vegetation can also provide shelter. In gardens and bushland, protecting habitat is often the best way to support these useful beetles. Variable ladybirds depend on healthy vegetation that provides food and shelter.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
• Insects fact sheet  – lady beetles are insects with the same basic insect body plan.
• Green lacewing fact sheet – another helpful predatory insect often found on vegetation.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Tree habitats fact sheet – leaves, bark and canopy provide hunting and shelter sites.

• Shrub habitats fact sheet – shrubs provide food and shelter for many insects.

• Ground cover habitats fact sheet – grasses and low plants can support aphids and other prey.

• Eucalypt forest fact sheet– explains the local bushland context.

• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – explains the local reserve and habitat diversity.

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