# Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle (*Propylea quatuordecimpunctata*) The Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle is a small, colorful bug with 14 spots on its back! It loves to munch on tiny pests like aphids, helping plants stay healthy and happy. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 34 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Propylea_quatuordecimpunctata_on_Hypericum_perforatum.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Propylea_quatuordecimpunctata_on_Hypericum_perforatum.jpg) ## Appearance The Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle is small and oval-shaped, typically bright yellow or orange with exactly fourteen black spots on its wing covers. Its pronotum, the segment behind its head, often has two black spots or a distinctive M-shape marking, making it easy to identify. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Coccinellidae - **Genus:** Propylaea ## Interesting facts - Female lady beetles can lay hundreds of eggs to make many pest-eating babies! - Lady beetle larvae look like tiny alligators and hunt pests aggressively! - They squirt bitter, yellow 'blood' from their legs to scare away hungry predators! - They wiggle their antennae to sniff out tasty aphids hiding on leaves! ## Special abilities - **Toxic Blood Blast:** Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle can release foul-smelling, bitter-tasting yellow hemolymph from its leg joints to deter predators. - **Aphid Annihilator:** Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle can rapidly consume large numbers of aphids, helping to protect plants from pests. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 7-9 mm - **Size:** 3.5-4.5 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-90 days - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding A tiny but mighty predator, eating garden pests to keep plants healthy! - **Age differences:** Larvae are voracious hunters, eating even more aphids than adults. - **Primary Foods:** aphids, spider mites, scale insects, insect eggs, small larvae - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Cotton Aphid (*Aphis gossypii*) — Helps control cotton aphid populations on crops. - **Hunts:** Green Peach Aphid (*Myzus persicae*) — An important predator of the common green peach aphid. - **Hunts:** Pea Aphid (*Acyrthosiphon pisum*) — Reduces pea aphid numbers, protecting garden and field peas. ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low These beetles are friendly and safe to observe, but don't touch them too much. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle's wingspan? 7-9 mm ### How big is Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle? 3.5-4.5 mm ### How long does Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle live? 30-90 days ### What does Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle eat? A tiny but mighty predator, eating garden pests to keep plants healthy! ### Where is Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle usually found? Urban areas ### How does Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle hunt? Foraging ### How many legs does Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle have? 6 ## Where to spot - [Arnold Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arnold-arboretum) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Barrington Civic Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/barrington-civic-center-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Bean Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bean-hill-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Chanticleer Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chanticleer-garden) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Chelsea Parade Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chelsea-parade-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Chestnut Street District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chestnut-street-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District [View all places to see Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fourteen-spotted-lady-beetle) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle Facts — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fourteen-spotted-lady-beetle)