Lady Bird Beetle Larva

5711   Something is eating the leaves on my snowball bush. This is the third year.  The leaves are like lace, but I can never see any grubs, day or night.  All I see is a number of these little characters.  Could this be the culprit?  If so, how do I spoil his lunch?  Brian

This is a larva of a lady bird beetle, likely that of the Asian multi-colored lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis. These are general predators on other small, soft-bodied insects and will not damage plants – see http://tinyurl.com/kp3ucph for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.