Ladybug vs Asian Lady Beetle
Coccinella septempunctata vs Harmonia axyridis
Look at the plate behind the head, not at the spots. A white M or W there means Asian lady beetle — the one that bites, stains and swarms your house in autumn. A plain black-and-white plate means a native ladybug, which does none of those things.
The one thing that settles it
The white M behind the head. Spot count is useless here and it is what everybody reaches for. The Asian lady beetle ranges from no spots to nineteen, which covers every native pattern there is. The pronotum marking does not vary that way, and it is visible in any photograph taken from above.
Side by side
| Character | Ladybug | Asian Lady Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Danger | Harmless | Take care |
| Plate behind the head | Black and white, no M or W shape | A white M or W on a black-and-white plate |
| Spots | Fixed by species — seven on the classic one | Anywhere from none to nineteen |
| Biting | Essentially never | Yes — a brief nip, occasionally breaking skin |
| Autumn behaviour | Overwinters singly in bark and leaf litter | Swarms sunny walls by the hundred, then gets into wall voids |
| When disturbed | Little or no fluid | Yellow haemolymph from the leg joints — smells, and stains paintwork |
| Colour | Classic red with black spots | Pale orange through deep red, highly variable |
Why they get confused
Because they are both ladybugs — the Asian lady beetle is not an impostor from another family, it is a lady beetle that happens to be introduced, abundant and better at getting indoors. Everyone is taught to identify ladybugs by counting spots, and that is precisely the character this species does not respect. The result is that the one behaviour people genuinely want to predict — will it bite, will it swarm my house — is invisible to the method they were given.
If you still can’t tell
Photograph it from directly above with the flash on and zoom into the plate behind the head; that is the entire identification and a phone usually resolves it. Failing that, behaviour answers it: if there are dozens or hundreds on a sunny wall in autumn, or any indoors in winter, it is the Asian lady beetle. Native ladybugs do not do that.
Common questions
Which one bites?
The Asian lady beetle. It is a brief nip, usually while it is looking for moisture, and it needs nothing beyond washing. Native ladybugs essentially do not bite at all.
Can you tell age from the number of spots?
No — that is the most persistent ladybug myth. Spot count is set by species and does not change as the beetle ages.
How do I stop them getting in?
Seal gaps around window frames, fascias and vents before autumn. Once they are inside a wall void there is nothing useful to spray, and vacuuming beats squashing because crushing them causes the staining.
Are Asian lady beetles harmful to have around?
They eat aphids like natives do. The costs are the biting, the staining, the smell and the indoor swarming — nuisance rather than danger.
Full records
- Ladybug Harmless
- Asian Lady Beetle Take care
Where this was checked
- iNaturalist — Coccinella septempunctata checked 2026-07-30
- iNaturalist — Harmonia axyridis checked 2026-07-30
- NC State Extension — Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle in the Landscape checked 2026-07-30
Last reviewed 2026-07-30. We identify, we don’t diagnose — what we can and can’t tell you.