Biocontrol Agent Profile

The multicolored Asian lady beetle is an invasive species that has colonized most of North America since its arrival in the mid 1990's. Invasive populations are not capable of full hibernation and exhibit cold-avoidance behavior in winter, which drives them to enter structures and gain staus as an urban pest.  However, they are voracious predators with a very broad diet range.  They forage readily on trees and shrubs, but tend to be selective about herbacious plants.  They readily enter fields of corn and soybean, but tend to avoid other grain crops, although heavy aphid populations can attract them from neighboring habitat.