Nine-spotted Lady Beetle
New York's state insect once seemed ordinary; finding its precise pattern now demands care and a little luck.
Artwork inspired by Anna Botsford Comstock
The Nine-spotted Lady Beetle was once common in New York farm fields and open ground, feeding on aphids much like familiar garden ladybugs. By the late twentieth century it had declined sharply across much of eastern North America. Its status as the state insect is therefore not a promise that a visitor can readily find one. Cornell's Lost Ladybug Project helped renew attention to this species and to the importance of documenting identifications carefully.
A typical adult has orange-red wing covers with about nine black spots, but spot number can vary. Compare the pale trapezoid on the underside and markings near the head rather than counting spots alone. Open, sunny vegetation and aphid-rich stems are plausible places to look, yet precise recent sites should not be advertised. A clear photograph is more useful to researchers than collecting or handling a beetle.
- State symbol
- Official insect
- Food
- Aphids
- Status
- Rare in eastern U.S.
Quick guide
- Check more than spots
- Look at the pale head/pronotal pattern as well as wing spots.
- Photograph, don't collect
- A sharp dorsal and side view can support an expert identification.
A careful search for a scarce beetle
- Start with open habitat
- Examine aphid-rich stems in sunny meadow or agricultural edges.
- Compare look-alikes
- Many introduced lady beetles vary in spot count; do not identify by nine dots alone.
- Document respectfully
- Take photographs without moving the insect or damaging host plants.
- Protect locations
- Share observations through a research platform without publicizing sensitive sites.
Good to know
New York's state insect is difficult to find today. A map pin indicates statewide association only, not a public viewing site or current colony.
Notice these
- Orange-red wing covers
- Variable black spots
- Pale head markings