Did you know that ladybugs aren’t technically bugs at all? They’re beetles! Ladybugs have co-existed with humans for thousands of years, appearing as symbols of good luck and prosperity in Asian cultures.
Here in the US, ladybugs have earned the nickname ladybird.
They are used to control agricultural pest populations thanks to their voracious appetite for aphids and other insects that harm crops.
There are over 5,000 different species of ladybugs worldwide, and there are 12 types of ladybugs in Ohio that you might find in your backyard garden or even on your front porch!
1. Cardinal Ladybird
The Cardinal ladybirds are one of the most common ladybugs in Ohio. They are typically red with black spots but can also be orange and black or white with small black spots.
These bugs are not harmful to humans and can be found on various food crops and wild plants.
If you find this type of ladybug in your backyard, more will likely be nearby!
2. Convergent Lady Beetle
The convergent lady beetle is a ladybug that can bugout the eastern United States. They are usually black with yellow spots, although they may also appear in different colors.
These beetles eat aphids, pests that harm crops and garden plants.
The convergent lady beetle is one of the few insects used to control aphids in large-scale agriculture; if you want to attract this type of ladybug into your backyard, plant clover or other flowers that attract these bugs.
3. Fourteen-Spotted Ladybird Beetle
The fourteen-spotted ladybird beetle, also known as the meadow ladybug, is a type of ladybug in Ohio. The number fourteen refers to the number of black spots on its red-orange shell.
It has a wide distribution across North America and some parts of Eurasia and Africa.
This beetle prefers moist habitats with perennial weeds and flowers such as clover, dandelions, aster, and sunflowers. Though it feeds on aphids, it eats other small insects like caterpillars.
4. Seven-Spotted Ladybug
The seven-spotted ladybugs are one of the most common types in Ohio. They are usually about 3⁄4 inch long and have seven black spots on their wings. Their black antennae stand out from their orange and red body.
Seven-spotted ladybugs spend most of their time on the ground and love to eat aphids, a g that likes to eat plants.
These bugs can be found in gardens, farms, or even homes that grow flowers. When you see these bugs outside your home, they will usually fly away when you come near them because they don’t want to be captured by humans.
5. Pink-Spotted Lady Beetle
A Pink-Spotted Lady Beetle is a beneficial insect that feeds on soft-bodied insects such as aphids and mosquitoes’ eggs, larvae, and pupae.
They are oval, about 5/8 inch long, with a red head and black spots on their wing covers. The larvae are white or yellowish with black spines.
This species can be found throughout the United States. It has been introduced to Europe, Africa, and Australia. These ladybugs in Ohio have also been used to control plant diseases like apple scabs.
6. Two-Spotted Ladybug
The two-spotted ladybug, the most common species in Ohio and one of the most common types in the United States can be found on every continent except Antarctica. The bug is also known as Coccinella novemnotata.
Two-spot ladybugs are typically orange or red, with a yellow spot on each wing cover and a black mark on each side.
They’re between 5 and 7 millimeters long. These bugs feed primarily on aphids and both soft-body insects. These beetles hibernate for about four months during the winter season as adults.
7. Twenty-Spotted Lady Beetle
The Twenty-spotted lady beetle is one of the more common species in Ohio. It’s also called the 7-spot ladybug because it has seven black spots on its elytra (wing coverings).
These ladybugs in Ohio can be found throughout much of North America, including Canada and most states in the United States.
It is about 5 mm long and has a black head with two orange spots. It hibernates during the winter and prefers to eat aphids.
When it emerges from hibernation in spring, males will fly around looking for females to mate with.
8. Thirteen-Spot Lady Beetle
The thirteen-spot lady beetle is named for the thirteen spots that line its wing covers.
These ladybugs in Ohio, which feed on aphids and scale insects, are one of the most common in the United States.
It’s also known as the Mexican lady beetle or harlequin bug because it was first discovered in Mexico.
Though some say they are pests in homes and gardens, they’re beneficial and can be natural pest control. The One-Spotted Lady Beetle: One of the more popular types of ladybugs with over 6,000 species worldwide, the one-spotted lady beetle has a single red spot on each wing cover.
Known to feed on scales and other soft-bodied insects, this type is native to North America.
9. Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle
This ladybug is primarily red and black, with a few spots on its wing covers. It is often found on the underside of leaves, where it feeds and lays eggs.
These ladybugs are common in Ohio and other parts of the Eastern United States.
The Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle’s spots are only sometimes easy to see, so you should look closer if you find one.
Some call this bug the Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle because its wing covers have seven dark spots. Other names for the Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle include the Coccinella Septempunctata or Cocoa.
10. Eye-Spotted Lady Beetle
The eye-spotted ladybeetles are a type of ladybug in Ohio with a black body with one or two spots. The spots are outlined in red, and the center is orange-yellow.
The eye-spotted lady beetle feeds on soft scales, aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips.
They are native to southern Asia and were introduced to North America in the late 1800s for biological control purposes.
They are also found in Hawaii, Europe, and South Africa. They feed primarily on plant pests but also eat small insects like mosquitoes if they can catch them.
11. Asian Lady Beetle
Asian ladybeetles are types of ladybugs in Ohio imported from Asia. These bugs are typically orange with black spots and can grow one and a quarter inches long.
Asian lady beetles feed on aphids and scale insects, which helps make them suitable for farmers.
The Asian lady beetle is not harmful to humans or pets, but it can potentially cause allergies in people allergic to shellfish. They also produce a foul odor when threatened or alarmed.
12. Ornate Chequered Beetle
The Ornate Chequered Beetle is a type of ladybug that ranges in color from red to orange. They are about 12mm long, and their colors can be seen on the elytra (wing covers). The head and pronotum (the area behind the head) are black with a chequered pattern.
This species is found in eastern North America, so they are only found in Ohio during the summer months when they migrate south for the winter.
No records exist of this type of ladybug occurring west of Illinois, Nebraska, or Kansas.
If you find one outside its natural range, it’s likely an escapee from captivity. These types of ladybugs in Ohio are often sold as pets at grocery stores, where customers think they’re buying meal bugs.
