Orange Ladybird
Halyzia sedecimguttata
While most ladybirds are famous for eating aphids, the Orange Ladybird is a dedicated vegetarian that acts as a natural fungicide, cleaning leaves of mildew.
- Scientific name
- Halyzia sedecimguttata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Coccinellidae › Halyzia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed woodlands, parks, and gardens, with a strong preference for sycamore, ash, oak, and hazel trees.
- Diet
- Strictly mycophagous, feeding almost exclusively on powdery mildew fungi growing on the leaves of deciduous trees.
- Range
- Europe, Western Asia, Siberia, British Isles
- Size
- 5 to 6 mm in length
- Lifespan
- About 1 year
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread use of chemical fungicides and pesticides, and the loss of mature deciduous woodland habitats.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless to humans. You can safely observe this beetle from any distance or gently allow it to crawl on your hand. If threatened, it may exude a pungent, yellow fluid (hemolymph) from its joints to deter predators, which can leave a temporary yellow stain on skin. Wash hands with soap and water after handling.
Halyzia sedecimguttata , or orange ladybird , is a species of Coccinellidae, also known as ladybird.
Photo: Gilles San Martin, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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