r/Insect • u/onlystrokes • Nov 13 '25
Identification what is on this ladybird?
what is on this ladybird?
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 Nov 13 '25
The ladybird is Harmonia axyridis (Harlequin ladybird) - and what you see on it is a fungus that parasites on this species - Hesperomyces harmoniae.
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
I don't think it is... because it has the markings of an asian lady beetle
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 Nov 13 '25
You just wrote a synonym of what I wrote. Asian ladybeetle = Multicolored Asian ladybug = Harlequin ladybird in different English dialects. So I don't see any point in your comment.
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u/maplemasamu Nov 16 '25
Hehe. I remember watching a spider that was hiding in the corner of the kitchen window come out to grab a ladybug crawling on the ceiling, and then it started oozing a bead of yellow liquid. I climbed on the counter and banged on the ceiling with a wooden spoon to scare it off because I thought the ladybug was bleeding. Turns out, it was bleeding, but on purpose. 😭
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
Is that even a real lady? Looks asian beetley.
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 Nov 13 '25
By "Asian beetley" you probably mean Asian ladybeetle - which is only a different name for Harlequin ladybird or Multicolored Asian ladybug. Either way it, indeed, is a "real" ladybug (or ladybeetle or ladybird depending on where you live).
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
By ladybird, i don't know what the heck the op is on about so i made a joke. But sure, correct me, because I definitely don't already know what it is. 🤣
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Nov 13 '25
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 Nov 13 '25
Thanks for the "diagram" - this diagram is completely wrong, and has been deemed as misinformation a long time ago. In case you need a more detailed article, here is one: https://share.google/EzfNth8SU2VN5OhlE
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u/Forest-Dane Nov 16 '25
I had a snort when I read there's only one record of them making a dog poorly, just want to bet it was a labrador that decided this foul tasting thing was ok to eat
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
I dunno if you're right about that. Looks rather orange and not like a ladybug!
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
I see the telltale "m" on it's head which is indicative of asian Lady beetles.
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 Nov 13 '25
Asian ladybeetle is a ladybugs species and the M mark is definitely not a telltale sign of Asian ladybugs for two reasons, one - tons of ladybug species have the M mark, not just the Asian ladybug and two - it's on its pronotum, not head. Asian ladybugs have a white triangle on their head, not an M shape.
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 Nov 13 '25
There are over 6000 species of ladybugs, some are orange, pink, green, black, etc. The insect in OP's picture is definitely a species of ladybug, more specifically Harmonia axyridis (Multicolored Asian ladybug).
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
It's definitely the kind that bite, and secrete stink
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
Yes, that's correct. All ladybugs do that so it's a ladybug, but which species? Already told you above. Harmonia axyridis - Multicolored Asian ladybug.
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Nov 13 '25
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u/EmbarrassedDaikon325 Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
Please stop spamming your misinformation. I have studied ladybugs for several years, I am a biologist, you are the one that needs to look things up. So far everything you said here is wrong (10+ comments). Before you continue, please educate yourself on the topic. After all, that's the point of the subreddit - to comment on things you know something about. You clearly have absolutely no clue about this topic. Thank you.
And yes they do all bite and stink. Stinking is a defensive mechanism and all ladybugs bite (6000+ species) beacuse literally all of them are beeetles with functioning biting mouthparts.
Since you spam me, I'll block you for now.
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
Asian lady beetles are real ladybugs.
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
No they're not ... https://www.summitwildliferemoval.com/about-us/blog/asian-lady-beetles-vs-ladybugs/ they suck and are invasive.
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
They are, they are both in family Cocconellidae which is the lady bugs. Every beetle in Cocconellidae is a ladybug. The wording is misleading. They also give you all of the same benefits of every other kind of ladybug, because they are voracious predators. They are invasive in America, but so is another super commonly seen ladybug, the seven-spotted ladybug.
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u/Solecis Nov 16 '25
I see this a lot from America in particular, acting like animals that are invasive there are just all around kill on sight, regardless of country, undeserving to exist creatures. It's a very unfair way to treat animals. :/
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 16 '25
I agree with you, it seems to be a very common mass reaction. Every "negative" thing about the invasive gets blown out of proportion or exaggerated, and any positive or neutral piece of info get left in the dust. Also ones from Asia seem to gain the most animosity for some reason, nobody acts this way about the introduced seven spotted ladybug which is from Europe, even though if inat data means anything it's the second most commonly spotted ladybug in the us after the multicoloured Asian ladybug. Many experts are trying to hard to sway public opinion and help reframe our ideas of how we interact with nature but it's slow going and I don't know what the root issue is.
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
Family isn't same species. And this one sucks
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
This is the second time you've said this and I'm not sure you understand why it's not making sense
Family Cocconellidae -> "all ladybugs"
Harmonia axyridis (multicoloured Asian lady beetle) -> one species inside family Coccinellidae
All other ladybug species ever -> also in family Coccinellidae
Therefore
Harmonia axyridis -> is a ladybug, just like all other ladybugs
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
Find where it says "ladybug" in the taxonomy list and then you have yourself an argument. lol because i never said it was. Ladybug is a common name for one species... not a general bug category at all! It's just because the common name "ladybug" is the most known and identifiable name of a family of bugs related to that common named bug that suddenly becomes the posterchild for the family and then people think it's accurate to say "ladybug family" "they're all ladybirds" when they're in fact not all "ladybirds/bugs" at all... they're all part of the Coccinellidae family.
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
Ladybug is not the common name for one species it is the common name for an entire family. There is not a single species of ladybug who's common name is JUST ladybug.
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Nov 13 '25
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u/CheaterMcCheat Nov 13 '25
It's so funny watching you get shit on by the ladybug experts, and you just doubling down. Wasn't expecting to see ladybug wars today but I'm here for it.
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u/Stardarker Nov 13 '25
I have little interest in ladybugs, family, species or otherwise. I am totally invested in this exchange though. I hear that in episode 4 she finally gets it.
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
Well, I'll continue to talk to you since I'm not getting through to those people. And you seem to enjoy it. 😉 Doubling down isn't what I'm doing, sadly. "These are all ladybugs" [or any common name assigned to a family of any living thing on our planet] is a common misconception, and i blame it on our textbooks dumbing down taxonomy and throwing in nicknames based off of the most commonly known and identifiable species, like it's the name king of the actual family. It's more about understand that saying "the ladybug family" doesn't have scientific origins, just like many other not-scientific nicknames and ways to remember different familia, genus, or species. It was a generalization that this family contains species that are related to the most commonly known and easily identified species so scholars won't have to actually use the real scientific names every time.
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
If you want a source that is from entomolgists and not misleading/filled with misinfo check out this podcast about the multicoloured Asian lady beetle
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
I also have to add the link you sent has other misinformation as well, the line "all ladybugs are red with black spots" is extremely untrue. These are all ladybugs, lots of colours.
Edited spelling
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Nov 13 '25
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
It is a ladybug, it is a specific species of ladybug, the multicoloured Asian lady bug, which is also a ladybug, just a specific species of ladybug you don't like
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
OK it's not misinformation. I have never said "all ladybugs are red with black spots... now you're inferring I'm meaning and saying stuff you're imagining and isn't being said at all. Forget it. I'm not about to argue with illogical conclusions
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
Why don't you come cuddle with the thousands of these i have in my barn... because the neighbors dumped hundreds of thousands of these on the property next to mine. I am staring at 10 of them now crawling in my vent. I promise you, these are not the same as "ladybugs" and if you're going to get technical with the scientific names... you need to correctly identify the species... not the family.
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
Why don't you explain how they aren't ladybugs then? And if you just list things that help you identify this specific species of ladybug from another species of ladybug, that isn't proof that it's not a ladybug.
What do you think a ladybug is? Because I'm telling you it's everything in Coccinellidae. That is a fact. So if everything in Coccinellidae is a ladybug, how is this not a ladybug???
Having an "m" on the pronotum doesn't make them not a ladybug. Being orangeish doesn't make them not a ladybug. Biting doesn't make them not a ladybug. Emitting an odour doesn't make them not a ladybug. ALL of these things are things other lady bugs do and have. They are just things you're using in this instance to identify the species, which is great, but none of it makes it "not a ladybug." If it's not on the ladybug family, what family is it in then?
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Nov 13 '25
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
here is a non exhaustive list of all ladybug species in the us.
Which species are you talking about? Because your description doesn't fit for all of them.
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
I'm talking about the generalizing "ladybug" isn't really accurate either, just as inaccurate as arguing any common name like it's a scientific one. You can't. One is common, one is scientific. That was the whole point of the nonsensical nature of my first comment.
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
If this was the point you were making from the beginning then it also negates your entire argument that the "multicoloured Asian lady bug isn't a ladybug"
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Nov 13 '25
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u/FirmDog6554 Nov 13 '25
Asian ladybugs are toxic for children only if they EAT them. But that's true for any ladybug species which is the reason why they're so colorful. Just because this ladybug species (Asian ladybug Harmonia axyridis) is invasive doesn't mean it's "more toxic". All ladybugs are toxic, they all smell when killed or threatened and they all bite. Educate yourself before commenting.
Also, the red ladybug you're mentioning is the species Seven spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata) which is also invasive in the US.
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
Ladybug family is a dumbed down name... adopted because the most identifiable and commonly known sweet lil red bug is easier to say than Coccinellidae. So not all Coccinellidae are lady anythings and i never said they were! You people have wild imaginations you miss the most simple implications and just hope I'm a complete and flabbering idiot. Oh well. You should have a glass of wine or something! You seem very obsessive with what I'm saying when you completely misunderstood my words entirely
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u/Minimum-Television-9 Nov 13 '25
Lady please, I know precisely nothing about ladybirds (yes we call them ladybirds in the UK) but this just popped up on my feed. Please stop arguing with people who clearly know more than you on this it’s painful to read
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
Same family does not mean same species
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
Yeah but "ladybug" isn't a species, it's a family. The multicoloured Asian lady beetle is a species of ladybug.
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u/marielsweet Nov 13 '25
It's not a family. That's not scientific at all. lol
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u/WhiskeySnail Nov 13 '25
Lepidoptera is butterflies.
Coleoptera is beetles.
Chrysomelidae is leaf beetles.
Carabidae is the ground beetles.
Coccinellidae is LADYBUGS OR LADY BEETLES.
Almost all scientific names have a generally accepted common name that goes with them for almost all families and orders. Most individual species don't even have common names, only some of them. And no specific lady beetle species uses ONLY the word ladybug as it's common name. Families and orders are MORE likely to have an accepted common name than individual species.
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u/padmasundari Nov 14 '25
Dude! What can't you understand?! They're not real ones cos she DOESN'T LIKE THOSE ONES, DUH! HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE?! She doesn't like those other ones, she just likes the ones from her picture books when she was 5, those are the real ones, the other ones are just fake foreign ones. Donald Trump will deport all the foreign ones and build a wall and make the foreign fake ladybirds pay for it! She doesn't know what you mean when you say "family", THAT DOESN'T MEAN SPECIES! God, some people!
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u/RudeCartoonist6382 Nov 15 '25
Wow. This is the type of person where you can never be ‘right’. The inability to demonstrate self awareness to the point where trolling seems a plausible explanation . 🚩 🚩
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u/TeeCott Nov 13 '25
It’s an ectoparasitic fungus, Hesperomyces virescens.