cow, and St. Anthony’s cow, connecting them

with a harmless bovine as well as with

a sacred figure.

In reality, the familiar red and black

ladybugs are neither harmless nor

divine, but adults and larvae are

voracious predators of aphids and

other small insects. This also makes

them popular and beneficial in

the garden, where aphids can be

a major pest. Most of the other

coccinellid species keep a lower

profile, and about half of them are

called “inconspicuous ladybugs,” because

they lack the spots and bright colors. While

most ladybugs are predators, the subfamily

Epilachninae includes leaf-feeding species, and

a few of these are even pests of some crops, such

as melons and cucumbers.

extremely common within the last 20 years,

and spread well beyond the glasshouses

and gardens where it was introduced.

There is a concern that it may outcompete

native ladybugs, and it can also enter

houses in large numbers to overwinter,

which does not endear it to some

householders. This species may not be

a very good ambassador for a formerly

entirely popular group of insects

above | Heteroneda reticulata Not all

ladybugs are red with black spots.

The Asian predatory Netty Beetle is

yellow with a pattern of black lines.

opposite | Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

The Australian Mealybug Destroyer, and

its wax-covered larva (right), are voracious

consumers of scale insect pests, and have

been imported globally for biocontrol.

right | Epilachna extrema From South

America, this is one of the minority

of ladybugs that are herbivorous (leaf

feeders) as adults and larvae.