What is an Asian Lady Beetle?

An Asian Lady Beetle is an invasive species native to Asia (China, Russa, Korea, Japan, etc.) It feeds on amphids and other small bugs. Their natural predators are different types of fungus and mites that are not native to the U.S. They were brought over to help control amphids and other crop pests and have rapidly spread since.

What damage do they cause?

Asian Lady Beetles feed on the same food source as Ladybugs. They often outcompete Ladybugs for this food source since they have no natural predators here leading to a decline in Ladybug population. When they run low on amphids they will eat other helpful insects and they carry a parasite that kills Ladybugs. They will also damage crops if they have a dense enough population. Asian Ladybeetles have also become household pests, creating infestations in houses.

How to tell them apart from a Ladybug?

One of the quickest ways to tell them apart is Lady Beetles have an "M" or "W" shape on their heads while Ladybugs only have 2 white spots towards the front of their heads. This can be observed from the image at the top of the page.

What can you do to help?

Smash them

Much like the Lantern Flies, a good hard stomp will get rid of them

Use Natural Repellents

To prevent this insects from taking residence in your home place bay leaves, citronella, or cloves near windows and doors.