- Lifespan
- 1–2 years in the wild; up to 3 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- 5–8 mm in length; typically 7–8 mm
- Habitat
- Highly adaptable species found in parks, gardens, hedgerows, farmland, and urban areas, particularly where aphid populations are abundant.
- UK Distribution
- Widespread across England, Wales, and southern Scotland since its arrival around 2004; now resident year-round with populations established throughout most of the UK.
- Diet
- Voracious predator of small soft-bodied insects, primarily aphids, but also scales, mealybugs, whiteflies, and small caterpillars.
- Prey
- Aphids (principal prey), scale insects, mealybugs, whiteflies, small caterpillars, and pollen
- Predators
- Birds, ground beetles, parasitic wasps, and spiders; relatively few natural predators in the UK
- Mating Season
- April to September, with peak activity in spring and early summer
- Breeding
- Females lay clusters of 10–30 elongated yellow eggs on leaf undersides; eggs hatch within 3–4 days; larvae develop through 4 instars over 14–21 days; typically 2–3 generations per year in the UK
- Behaviour
- Highly gregarious, often clustering in large numbers for overwintering in buildings, sheds, and tree bark. Adults are aggressive foragers and cannibalistic, consuming eggs and larvae of other ladybirds. They exhibit strong aggregation behaviour and release alarm pheromones when threatened.