Bug FAQSpider Mite Destroyer
Stethorus punctum · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Coccinellidae
Adult Spider Mite Destroyers are tiny, measuring about 1.35 to 1.55 mm in length. They are predators that feed mainly on plant-feeding mites, especially spider mite eggs. The species occurs in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults reach a length of roughly 1.35 to 1.55 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Its life cycle is tied to its predatory habit on spider mite eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 24 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Kansas, New York, Oregon, Montana, Pennsylvania, Texas, Massachusetts.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does Stethorus punctum eat?
It feeds exclusively on plant-feeding mites, especially spider mite eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this beetle apart from similar ones?
It has a black body with yellow antennae, mouthparts and legs, while the subspecies *picipes* has black or dark-brown legs.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Coccinellidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stethorus_punctum
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.