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.