Stressed plants attract pests and where you find pests you will also find beneficial insects that feed on pests. During extreme weather conditions you may notice some of these strange little creatures on various plants in your garden.

These are not pests – they are juvenile ladybirds

Both juveniles (larvae) and adult ladybirds eat vast amounts of aphids, various types of scale and mites. One species eats fungus, including powdery mildew. The white, fluffy species eat mealy bugs. They are difficult to distinguish from the pests they devour. Australia exports this variety of ladybird to the USA to help with their mealy bug problem.

These are some images of the pupa stage, just before adult ladybirds emerge. Ladybird larvae have an attachment at the end on their abdomens that allows them to stick to a leaf surface while they pupate.

 

 

 

 

Lady bird larvae often seek shelter from birds in the curled leaves that citrus leaf miners produce. Remember, if you decide to use chemical or organic sprays to treat pests that you will also kill beneficial insects and their offspring. There is only one species of ladybird that is not helpful in the garden: 26 or 28 spotted ladybird.

 

For lots more information about lady birds, see: Ladybird Field Guide