Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetle © mothvet (iNaturalist)
Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetle © Jimmy Dee
Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetle © Tom Murray
The Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetle is native to North America. Its colors can range from light grey to dark purple with black spots. This species feeds on aphids and is found primarily in forested areas from April to July.
Status
Native
Ranked as Apparently Secure in Ontario and New Brunswick; and as Vulnerable in Indiana.
Last Seen
2021
Fun Fact
Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetles darken with age, to the point where their spots become almost invisible.
Identification
The Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetle is 7.2 to 9.5 mm in length, and appears as a “rounded oval” in shape. Like other species in the Anatis genus, it darkens with age, with the spots sometimes no longer being distinguishable from the rest of the elytra at the end of its life because it is so dark.
- The elytra can be ashy-gray, to orange, to a deep purple or black in color, with 15 black spots in total. The elytra are “explanate”–helmet-shaped in profile, with a flared “rim.”
- The pronotum is white, with a black “M”shape in the center. There are two small, black triangular shapes on the white margin of the pronotum, one on each side.
- Head is black, with two white dots.
- Legs are light brown to orange in color.
- Often confused with: Eye-spotted Lady Beetle, Asian Lady Beetle
Habitat
Arboreal. Can sometimes be found in aggregations on beaches.
General Range
West to Colorado, south to Texas, east to the Atlantic Ocean, north to Manitoba.
Food
Feeds on aphids, scale insects, mites, and other small insects on deciduous and coniferous trees
Life History
From BugGuide data, the Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetle is most abundant from April to July. Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetles have one generation per year. Little information is available on Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetles.
More Information
You can find more information about Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetles using the following links:
Vermont Distribution
Visit the iNaturalist Observation Map and Occurrence Records to find out where Fifteen-spotted Lady Beetles have been seen in Vermont.
