First of all, what exactly is a ladybug? A ladybug (also called ladybird beetle) is any of the five species belonging to the Coccinellidae family of beetles that feed on aphids and other small insects.
This article will list ten types of ladybugs in North Carolina.
Depending on the species, they may be as small as 1/12 inch or over an inch long, but they all have seven black spots on their wings and bright red or orange markings on their back.
There are over 5,000 species of ladybugs worldwide, so you’re bound to see different types around your garden or farm in North Carolina.
1. Cardinal Ladybird
The cardinal ladybird is a type of ladybug native to the U.S. and can be found in most states. They’re typically red with black spots and may have yellow dots on the top part of their wings.
They’re also one of the most significant types of ladybugs in North Carolina, measuring up to an inch and having an average lifespan of between five and seven months.
Suppose you find this type around your garden. It’s recommended that you leave them alone because they’re considered beneficial insects: not only do they eat pests like aphids and scale insects, but their larvae are predators of other pest bugs! There are more types of ladybugs in North Carolina.
2. Convergent Lady Beetle
Convergent Lady Beetles are a type of ladybug in North Carolina. It is most often found in gardens, meadows, and fields and can be identified by its black head and pale yellow body with three large spots on the back.
The Convergent Lady Beetle usually overwinters as an adult. In the springtime, they will mate and lay eggs in the cracks or crevices of stone walls or buildings.
The larvae will emerge in May and feed on aphids, thrips, mites, spider mites, whiteflies, and other small insects. They will pupate into adult lady beetles by June or July.
3. Fourteen-Spotted Ladybird Beetle
The 14-spotted ladybird beetle is one of the more common types of ladybug in North Carolina. They are typically small, about 1⁄4 inch in size.
They come in various colors, including red, orange, yellow, and black. The 14-spotted ladybird beetle lays its eggs on plants near a food source for larvae to eat.
One egg will hatch into a larva that eats the plant’s leaves before pupating into an adult beetle and eating other insects as they grow.
Their diet includes aphids, mealy bugs, thrips, and spider mites, which may be your garden’s pest problem.
The 13-spot ladybird beetle is also native to North Carolina, but unlike the 14-spot, it doesn’t have a dorsal spot on its back.
4. Seven-Spotted Ladybug
The seven-spotted ladybugs are one of the most common in North Carolina. It is a tiny red ladybug with seven black spots on its head, thorax, and wing cases. They feed on aphids, scale insects, and mealy bugs.
You will find them in orchards, gardens, fields, and homes. The eggs are laid in crevices on plants and hatch into larvae (white with black spots) that mature into adults.
The adults hibernate during the winter months (from September to April) as they don’t need to eat or drink when inactive.
These beetles also have an interesting life cycle. The females lay their eggs after mating, often at the base of a plant stem near prey for the larva to eat once hatched.
Larvae then take about two weeks to develop before becoming pupae, and then they emerge as adult beetles, ready to mate and lay eggs for the cycle to start again.
5. Pink-Spotted Lady Beetle
The Pink-Spotted Lady Beetle is a common ladybug in the southeastern United States and is a type of ladybug in North Carolina.
It prefers to live in areas with tall grasses, fields, and pastures but has also been known to inhabit crops and home gardens.
The adults are usually active during the day but can be seen at night if they have been disturbed from their daytime hiding place.
They are oval-shaped with a yellow head and pronotum (the hard shell-like segment behind the head). The elytra (rigid wing coverings on the back) are red with black spots on each wing covering. One black dot on each side of the pronotum looks like an eye.
6. Two-Spotted Ladybug
The twenty-spotted lady beetle was first named in 1857 and is found in the eastern United States. They are often found on apple trees but can also be seen on other fruit trees.
They are black or brown with about two spots on their back that look like a target. The larvae for this beetle will eat aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites.
The two-spotted ladybug’s diet includes caterpillars, aphids, leafhoppers, scales, and mealy bugs.
These beetles will fly away if they feel threatened. One defense mechanism these beetles have is reflex bleeding, where they bleed from their leg joints when threatened by something dangerous.
7. Twenty-Spotted Lady Beetle
The twenty-spotted ladybeetles are among the most common types of ladybugs in North Carolina. They are a little less than an inch long with dark reddish-brown wing covers and have 20 black spots on their yellow body.
Most people will find these ladybugs perched on leaves during the day, but at night, they will come out to eat pests like aphids or scale insects.
The twenty-spotted lady beetles are among the few species in South Carolina and Georgia, although they are not as prevalent there.
You can distinguish this type of ladybug from other species because its wings cover most of its abdomen.
It’s easier to tell if you’re having success controlling aphids and scale insects if you know what you’re looking for!
8. Thirteen-Spot Lady Beetle
The Thirteen-Spot Lady Beetles are among the most common ladybugs in North Carolina and North America.
It is also known as the Coccinella Septempunctata, which means seven spots. They are usually black, with thirteen spots on their wings.
The Thirteen-Spot Lady Beetle’s coloration helps them blend into their surroundings and avoid detection by predators. They will occasionally eat ladybugs or eggs.
Adults can be found year-round, but it’s too hot for them to stay active during summer.
9. Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle
The 15-spotted lady beetle, also known as the seven-spot lady beetle, is one of the most common types in your garden. They are dark brown and have a reddish-orange marking on their back that looks like the number 7.
The 15-spotted lady beetle is native to America and can be found throughout the country except for the southeastern states.
These ladybugs in North Carolina are more likely to eat aphids, scales, and spider mites that can harm plants in your garden.
If you see this type near your plants, it’s time to celebrate because it means you have an organic pest control system at your fingertips! Just ensure not to use pesticides or insecticides around them because they’ll die from them.
Other names for the 15-spotted lady beetle are ladybug or ladybird. It measures about 4 mm long and 1 mm wide.
You may confuse it for the convergent lady beetle, but if you look closely, you’ll notice that convergent lady beetles don’t have spots on their wings.
10. Eye-Spotted Lady Beetle
The Eye-Spotted Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens) is a small, brightly colored beetle with black spots on a red background.
It is often found in the garden, but unlike many other lady beetle species, it will not eat most pests. The larvae are voracious predators of aphids and other soft-bodied insects.
If you spot an Eye-Spotted Lady Beetle, leave it alone so it can keep doing its excellent work. These types of ladybugs in North Carolina only live for about six weeks!
The Spotted Spreadwing: Male Spotted Spreadwings have striking patterns of orange, yellow, or tan along their forewings.
Females look similar but have smaller patches along their wings. Females are also typically larger than males.
Look for them sunning themselves on bark or near plants during mating season in spring and summer – they’re often spotted near milkweeds!