Bug FAQLarch Lady Beetle
Aphidecta obliterata · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Coccinellidae
Also called: Ladybird beetle, Larch Ladybird Beetle
The larch lady beetle is a small beetle about 3.5 to 5 mm long with an elongate oval, shiny, convex body and a black arch-shaped mark on its head. It lives in high bogs, peat areas and coniferous forests across Europe, parts of Asia, and some regions of North America, and may occasionally appear in gardens and parks.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The beetle has a smooth, shiny, densely punctured elytra and a black arch-shaped marking on the head. Its spots are small or faint, unlike the prominent spots of many other ladybugs.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 3.5 to 5 mm (0.14 to 0.20 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
It has been introduced in the US and Canada to help control the spruce adelgid pest.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits high bogs, peatlands, and mainly coniferous and mixed forests, especially those with Scots pine. It can also be found occasionally in gardens and parks.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Both larvae and adults feed on aphids, especially those that infest pines, like Lachnidae and Adelgidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The beetles overwinter in bark crevices and leaf litter. Adults are active in spring and summer.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen during the spring and summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Unlike many ladybugs, this species has only tiny or faint spots, making it look less spotted.
Source: Wikipedia
Status: introduced in North America; introduced in United States; introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
More photos
Questions people ask
What do larch lady beetles eat?
They feed on aphids that live on pine trees, such as Lachnidae and Adelgidae.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult larch lady beetles?
Adults are present in the spring and summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where might I find a larch lady beetle?
They live in high bogs, peat areas, coniferous forests, and sometimes show up in gardens and parks.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Coccinellidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphidecta_obliterata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.