# Eyed Ladybird Beetle

*Anatis ocellata*

The dark spots on its wing cases are surrounded by pale yellow halos, resembling tiny eyes designed to startle potential predators.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Coccinellidae › Anatis
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Coniferous and mixed woodlands, particularly favoring Scots pine, spruce, and larch trees.
- **Diet:** Mainly aphids (especially giant pine aphids), scale insects, and adelgids.
- **Range:** Europe, Northern Asia, North America
- **Size:** 8 to 9 mm in length, making it one of the largest ladybird species in its range.
- **Lifespan:** 1 to 2 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use in commercial forestry and loss of mature coniferous forest habitats.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans. You can safely observe them at close range on pine needles or tree bark. Avoid rough handling, as they may pinch with their mandibles or release a yellow, bitter-tasting defense fluid (reflex bleeding) that can stain skin. If contact occurs, wash hands with soap and water.

## About

Anatis ocellata , commonly known as the eyed ladybug , is a species of ladybug in the Coccinellidae family. It has black spots on a red background, with each spot surrounded by a yellowish halo. In one color variation, a specimen found in Scotland was reported having the spots fused to form longitudinal lines.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/a0a4c39e-4bff-4faf-be26-8395a4e0fce4
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/321535
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatis ocellata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2026393/medium.jpg (S. Rae, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.