Ash gray lady beetle of the Coccinellidae or lady beetles family is indigenous to North America, Central America, and Oceania. The beetle’s ash coloration gives it its name.
Size: 2.5 – 3.1 mm (0.09 – 0.12 inches)
Color: The standard color of this beetle is its grayish-white body, with black blotches all over. Some beetle species also appear black with two big red spots on each col3 of their elytra and white patches on the head and pronotum.
Other Characteristic Features: They have a bumpy and spiky appearance.
The larva is black with a long and tubular appearance. They even have spikes on their back with yellow dashes and dots resembling a sword.
The pupa remains encased incol3 the cocoon fixed to the undercol3s of the leaves for approximately a week. Then, they mature into adult beetles.
The eggs are yellow, mostly laid under leaves.
| Adult lifespan | About 2 years |
| Duration of larval stage | Approximately 8 days |
| Distribution | North America, Central America, parts of Oceania |
| Habitat | Forests, near grasslands, river beds, and even cities |
| Common Predators | Birds, bats |
| Seasons active from | Not recorded |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Small bugs and other insects as well as pests |
Image Source: bugguide.net, discoverlife.org, live.staticflickr.com,
Ash gray lady beetle of the Coccinellidae or lady beetles family is indigenous to North America, Central America, and Oceania. The beetle’s ash coloration gives it its name.
Size: 2.5 – 3.1 mm (0.09 – 0.12 inches)
Color: The standard color of this beetle is its grayish-white body, with black blotches all over. Some beetle species also appear black with two big red spots on each col3 of their elytra and white patches on the head and pronotum.
Other Characteristic Features: They have a bumpy and spiky appearance.
The larva is black with a long and tubular appearance. They even have spikes on their back with yellow dashes and dots resembling a sword.
The pupa remains encased incol3 the cocoon fixed to the undercol3s of the leaves for approximately a week. Then, they mature into adult beetles.
The eggs are yellow, mostly laid under leaves.
| Adult lifespan | About 2 years |
| Duration of larval stage | Approximately 8 days |
| Distribution | North America, Central America, parts of Oceania |
| Habitat | Forests, near grasslands, river beds, and even cities |
| Common Predators | Birds, bats |
| Seasons active from | Not recorded |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Small bugs and other insects as well as pests |
Image Source: bugguide.net, discoverlife.org, live.staticflickr.com,
