Variable ladybird beetle
The variable ladybird is a small yellow ladybird with four or five black spots on its back. No two look quite the same, because the black markings change from beetle to beetle. It is a helpful little hunter of aphids.
How big is it?
How long is it?
How big is Variable ladybird beetle compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
It is only about 4 to 5 millimetres long.
Its name variable comes from its black spots, which are different on every beetle.
People brought it to Florida and Hawaii on purpose, to eat the yellow sugarcane aphid.
Its neck shield is yellow with a black patch at the back.
Most asked questions about Variable ladybird beetle
?Is the variable ladybird good for gardens?
Yes. It eats aphids that harm plants.
?Why is it called the variable ladybird?
Because its black markings vary from one beetle to the next.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Coelophora inaequalis
- Group
- Ladybirds
- Family
- Coccinellidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Coleoptera > Coccinellidae
- Lives on
- Australia and Oceania, Asia, North America
- Also known as
- Variable ladybird, Common Australian lady beetle, Common Australian ladybug
Where the facts come from
- Coelophora inaequalis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by JKDw. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip
Seven-spot ladybird
Harlequin ladybird
Mealybug destroyer
Twenty-two-spot ladybird
Twice-stabbed ladybird
Spotted pink ladybird
Giant African mantis
Garden slug
Mung bean moth
Old lady
Ant woodlouse
Grass cross spider