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Animal profile

Harlequin Ladybird

Harmonia axyridis

InsectaWoodland, orchards, farmland and buildings, where adults overwinter indoors in large numbers

Field profile

The harlequin ladybird is a highly variable coccinellid, appearing in orange, red and black forms with anywhere from no spots to nineteen. Introduced repeatedly as a biological control agent for aphids, it has spread rapidly and is now one of the most invasive ladybirds in the world. It is a strong competitor and a predator of other ladybird species.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-05-24

Harlequin Ladybird

The harlequin ladybird carries a fungal passenger

Harmonia axyridis displaces native ladybirds partly by eating their larvae. It also tolerates microsporidian parasites in its own haemolymph that kill the native species which consume its eggs and young.

Read with evidence →

Harlequin Ladybird | Daily Animal Facts