Bug FAQVariable Ladybird Beetle
Coelophora inaequalis · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Coccinellidae
Also called: Common Australian lady beetle, Variable Lady Beetle
Adults are tiny, measuring about 3.7 to 5.2 mm in length. It originates from Australia, Oceania and Southern Asia and has been introduced to Florida and Hawaii to control the yellow sugarcane aphid.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults reach a length of about 3.7 to 5.2 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It was introduced to eat the yellow sugarcane aphid, Sipha flava.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Its life cycle was studied in the context of controlling Sipha flava.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Seasonal activity was noted when used against Sipha flava.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to Australia, Oceania and Southern Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Hawaii, California, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Coccinellidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelophora_inaequalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.