Seven-spot Ladybird: the aphid colony's worst nightmare

Card #001 in the Field Guide is a seven-spot ladybird, and that is not an accident. It is one of the easiest bugs to recognise and one of the most useful in any garden: bright red with seven black spots, a tiny predator that spends its days hunting aphids on leaves and stems.

How to spot it

• A dome-shaped, round body about 5 to 8 mm long.
• Glossy red wing cases with seven black spots: three on each side and one in the middle, right behind the head.
• A black head with two small white patches.

Where and when

Look on the underside of leaves in gardens, meadows and hedgerows from spring through autumn, anywhere aphids gather. In winter, ladybirds huddle together in sheltered spots to stay warm, so a sunny wall or a window frame on the first warm day of spring is a good place to check.

Why it is a gardener’s friend

A single ladybird can eat thousands of aphids over its life, keeping plants healthy without any chemicals. Its bright red colour is a warning to birds that it tastes bad. Clever, harmless, and welcome.

In the app

The seven-spot ladybird lives in the Garden & Home set and is one of the 42 species we have hand-checked for safety: likely harmless to people. It does not sting or bite. If you pick one up, it may leave a yellow smear on your fingers. That is not blood. It is a defensive fluid, and it washes off.

Front desk tip: if you find a ladybird with more or fewer spots, or one that is orange rather than red, scan it anyway. Peeka lists the look-alikes it considered, and the Asian lady beetle (card #002) is the most common mix-up.