My first lady bug of the year. The Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) is also multi-spotted, or sometimes not spotted at all. It’s highly variable, with more than 100 (!) colorforms. The M-shape on the pronotum is usually a good marker of the species. Of course, that’s a W-shape if you look at it the other way. (That seems to make it the only beetle with my initials on it.) The species was introduced into the Southeast around thirty years ago; since then it has spread throughout much of North America.
Lady Bug
Published April 27, 2012 Fieldnotes 2 CommentsTags: beetles, Brooklyn, insects, invertebrates, ladybugs
Backyard and Beyond 
I had no idea this bug was introduced. To devour pests, I suppose? Has it been considered a successful introduction or just another invasive?
Yes, they were released to go after pests, by the USDA, and like many such introduction efforts — see under Australia — it didn’t go well. And now it appears they are displacing native species. It’s the typical lady bug in the city now.