multicolored Asian lady beetle

noun

: an Asian ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) that has multiple color patterns ranging from yellowish-orange to red with or without black spots on the wing covers, that was introduced into the U.S. to control other insect pests (such as aphids and scale insects), and that is now widely distributed

One particular type of ladybug, the multicolored Asian lady beetle, has developed the rude habit of invading houses in chilly months, entering through cracks and crevices to find a warm place to curl up for the winter.

—Don Finley, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Dec. 2004

The most notorious local example of biological control gone haywire is the multicolored Asian lady beetle, a bug brought to the U.S. as early as 1916 and used to control aphids on Southern pecan trees.

—John Keilman, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2008

called also (British) harlequin ladybird

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

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