Ladybugs - Description

Scientific Name: Hippodamia convergens | Common Name: Convergent Lady Beetle

Soft-Bodied Pests Multiplying Fast?

NaturesGoodGuys pre-fed ladybugs are beneficial insects native to North America. They are effective beneficial insects for organic gardens, greenhouses, grow rooms, and interior-scapes. Ladybugs control aphids, thrips, mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites, psyllids, and many other soft bodied pests.

Why Our Ladybugs Get Results

• Predatory in both larval and adult stages: Larvae are voracious hunters that consume 30–50 aphids per day, while adults consume up to 5,000 aphids over a lifetime.
• Pre-fed before shipping: Our ladybugs are fed and watered after collection. This helps them settle and start feeding faster.
• Support your backyard ecosystem: See real improvements in plant health without introducing chemical pesticides.
• Natural, sustainable, and safe — people, pet, and planet friendly.
  

Ladybug Success

How long do ladybugs live? Adults can thrive for weeks or months in a variety of temperatures and humidities. To help ladybugs stay ahead of the pest lifecycle, we suggest introducing them multiple times throughout the growing season.

Ladybug Fun-Facts

• Over 400 species of ladybugs exist in North America. Ours, Hippodamia convergens, is the species native to the USA. 
• Built-in survival system: When threatened, ladybugs secrete a bitter fluid from their leg joints. This is called reflex bleeding. It deters birds and other vertebrate predators.
• Winter-ready: Ladybugs enter a dormant state called diapause when temperatures drop, surviving on stored fat reserves they build up in fall by feeding on pollen and prey. They resume activity in spring.
• Side-to-side chewers: Ladybugs chew prey from side to side rather than up and down. This is a unique adaptation for processing soft-bodied insects.
• Fast fliers: Ladybugs beat their wings approximately 85 times per second when in flight.

Ladybug Life Cycle

Ladybugs develop through four stages: egg → larva → pupa → adult. Eggs hatch in 3–7 days; larvae develop through four instars over 10–30 days (eating 30–50 aphids per day as large larvae); pupation lasts about one week; adults emerge ready to feed and mate. 

The full cycle from egg to adult takes 3–6 weeks depending on temperature. Ladybug larvae look like small orange-and-black "alligators." Be careful to not mistake ladybug larvae for a pest!

Spot Our Ladybug

Our ladybugs are easy to identify! Look for the two white lines behind the head that converge, giving them their name. This marking sets Hippodamia convergens apart from the invasive multicolored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) and the European 7-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata). Our species is 100% native to the USA.

Left: Convergent Ladybug (Hippodamia convergens)

Right: European 7 Spotted Ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)

Power Pair - Ladybugs and Lacewings

Ladybugs and green lacewings are the dream team for broad-spectrum natural pest control. Green lacewing larvae (called "aphid lions") consume up to 60 aphids per day. Together, they provide overlapping coverage and attack pests at multiple life stages. They coexist peacefully and will not predate each other.

CUSTOMER REVIEW

Michael P. Says: This is our second year using NaturesGoodGuys ladybugs and green lacewings. They provide exceptional products and I would highly recommend them. Much better than applying chemical sprays to keep our property's landscaping looking amazing.