Pest profile

Pink Spotted Lady Beetle

Coleomegilla maculata · Coleoptera: Coccinellidae[3]

The pink spotted lady beetle is a native predator of aphids and insect eggs, and unlike most lady beetles it gets up to half its diet from pollen.[1][2]

Pink spotted lady beetle seen from above, an elongate pinkish-red beetle with six black spots on each wing cover and two on the thorax
Pink spotted lady beetle seen from above, an elongate pinkish-red beetle with six black spots on each wing cover and two on the thorax. Photo: Zygy, public domain (CC0), via iNaturalist

How to identify it

  • Adults are pink to red, about 1/5 to 1/4 inch (5 to 6 mm) long and more elongate than round, with six black spots on each wing cover.[1][2]
  • Two large black marks sit on the pink or yellowish area behind the head.[1][2]
  • Larvae are blackish with orange or yellow patches; pupae are black and orange and glued openly to plants.[1]
  • Eggs are football shaped, orange to yellow, and stand on end in small groups.[1]

Where it lives

A North American native, it's found through much of the Northeast, the South and the Midwest. The subspecies C. maculata strenua is the one in California and the Southwest.[2][1]

US map: public records from 41 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

A female lays 200 to more than 1,000 eggs over a life of one to three months.[1][2]

Adults winter in large clusters under leaf litter and stones along hedgerows and field edges, then disperse in spring, often on foot.[2][1]

Egg to adult takes three to four weeks in warm weather, with two to five generations a year.[1][2]

Damage and signs

  • Adults and larvae eat aphids, mites, insect eggs and small larvae, including eggs of corn earworm and Colorado potato beetle.[2][1]
  • Pollen can make up as much as half its diet, and flowering plants raise egg laying and the number of prey eaten.[2][1]

Health risk

Neither Cornell nor UC IPM lists any concern for people; both describe it as a predator that also eats pollen.[2][1]

Control

Prevention

Skip broad-spectrum, persistent insecticides; they're toxic to the natural enemies you want to keep.[1]

Biological control

Early-flowering plants with lots of pollen, dandelions for example, feed dispersing adults in late spring before aphids build up.[2]

Keep ants in check, since they attack lady beetles and other natural enemies.[1]

Common questions

Why are there pink ladybugs in my garden?
It's likely the native pink spotted lady beetle, which is most common on low plants such as vegetables and garden ornamentals.[1]
Does it eat my plants?
No. It eats aphids and other small prey, and the plant food it takes is pollen.[2][1]
Where do they go in winter?
Adults gather in large groups under leaf litter or stones along hedgerows and field borders.[2]

Sources

  1. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pink Spotted Lady Beetle (Natural Enemies Gallery).” ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/pink-spotted-lady-beetle/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, “Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America: Coleomegilla maculata (Pink Spotted Lady Beetle).” biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/predators/Coleomegilla.php (accessed 2026-10-06)
  3. iNaturalist, “Coleomegilla maculata taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/126267 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.