Bug FAQTortoise-shelled Lady Beetle
Harmonia testudinaria
Adult tortoise-shelled lady beetles are about 6 mm long and start out completely yellow before black markings appear, including two black stripes across the pronotum. They live on the leaves and stems of plants in Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and, after introduction, Hawaii, where they feed on aphids such as the giant willow aphid. Their life cycle begins with eggs laid on suitable plants, which hatch into larvae that molt several times before becoming pupae.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Newly emerged adults are all yellow and later develop black spots and two black stripes on the pronotum.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 6 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They feed on aphids and other insects, including the giant willow aphid.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Eggs are laid on suitable plants, hatch into larvae that molt several times, and then become pupae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs in Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and has been introduced to Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
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Questions people ask
What do tortoise-shelled lady beetles eat?
They eat aphids and other insects, such as the giant willow aphid.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this lady beetle?
They live on plant leaves and stems in Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and introduced populations in Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
How do they develop?
Eggs are laid on plants, hatch into larvae that molt several times, and then turn into pupae before becoming adults.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonia_testudinaria
Look it up elsewhere: iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.