Ladybug vs Asian Beetle: What’s the Difference?

How to Identify a Ladybug vs an Asian Beetle

Bill Johnson

Our native ladybugs are welcome guests in gardens, backyards and farm fields because they nosh on plant-eating insects, like aphids, mites and mealybugs. But the ladybug’s nonnative look-alike, the Asian multicolored lady beetle, has a bad reputation. They’re the bothersome creatures that nudge their way into the warmth of your home during winter. Look for distinctive markings to help you tell the difference between a ladybug vs an Asian beetle.

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Ladybug Features

• Antennae, near the eyes, help poor-sighted ladybugs smell, taste and feel their way around.
• Hard shells (elytra) cover and protect the wings. Dots on the left are a mirror image of those on the right.
• Pronotum is a platelike structure that protects the ladybug’s head. It has two white dashes on top.
• Short legs secrete poisonous gel if the bug is caught by a predator.
• Black spots on the orange shell alert predators that this creature tastes bad.
• The convergent lady beetle eats pesky insects in gardens throughout North America.

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Asian Lady Beetle Features

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• You can easily tell Asian lady beetles from other native ladybugs by the marks behind the head. Look for a black “M” shape on the pronotum.

Next, meet more helpful garden beetles you should know.