Ladybirds of Ireland - dedicated to the study and recording of Irish ladybirds
by Roy Anderson

Key to Ladybirds in Ireland

The Key below covers the species recorded from Ireland, apart from two rare vagrants. A few of the inclusions have only very old records (e.g. 24-spot) but are placed in the Key to cover the possibility that they have been overlooked in recent years and may be present but very local.

At this point it is not intended to include all the British species but if a specimen you have fails to key out satisfactorily please try one of the web sites for British ladybirds listed in 'Links & references'.

The key is not infallible.  Some ladybirds species are very variable in both ground colour and spotting.  An inventory, of Irish colour forms would be desirable but is not available, nor likely to become available for some time.  Please bear this in mind. 

If you have a specimen that does not easily match anything in the key it is best to let an expert see it rather than make assumptions about its identity.  Please contact CEDaR at the Ulster Museum or myself at

Key to Irish ladybirds

(!) indicates unusual or rare varieties

1	Upper surface finely hairy; with a up to 24 black spots; ground colour a dirty brown-red	24-spot Subcoccinella 24-punctata	24-spot *
	Upper surface completely hairless, shining	2

2	Elytra coloured black	3
	Elytra paler-coloured, yellow, brown, orange, red, not black	6

3	With pale markings (yellow,orange,red) at the forward angle of the elytra	4
	Pale markings, if present, never at the forward angle of the elytra	5

4	Legs and underside of abdomen black; may have one, two or three pale markings on each elytron; if one, this is at the forward angle; if two, second is central; if three, third is at tip of elytron	2-spot Adalia bipunctata	2-spot [melanic]
	Legs brown; underside of abdomen dark brown to orange; elytra usually has only one marking which is broad and curved inwards and forwards from the margin	10-spot Adalia 10-punctata	10-spot *

5	Body oval with no lip at elytral margins; usually a uniform black, occasionally with small tan markings at the tips of the elytra or (even rarer) at the middle of the sides	Hieroglyphic Coccinella hieroglyphica	Hieroglyphic [melanic]
	Body round and domed; with a well-defined lip around the margins of the elytra; markings always present; form a thin red band or a thin line of small red spots across the middle of the elytra	Heather Chilocorus bipiustulatus	Heather

6	Elytra a bright orange-red to red colour	7
	Elytra some other colour – cream, yellow, brown	14

7	Spots on elytra pale, 7 or 8 on each elytron; size large (up to 7mm)	Eyed Anatis ocellata(!)
	Spots on elytra black	8

8	Scutellum with a large black spot extending on to each elytron and smaller triangular white spots on the outer sides of this	9	11-spot
	Large scutellar spot absent, or present but without the triangular outer white spots	13

9	Definitely more elongate than the common ladybirds, nearly twice as long as broad; usually with six black spots on each elytron as well as the spot at the scutellum	13-spot Hippodamia 13-punctata	13-spot *
	Much less than twice as long as broad; rounded oval shape	10

10	Less than 5mm long	11
	More than 5.5mm long	12

11	With five round spots on each elytron plus scutellar spot; hindmost spots on elytra are occasionally fused to form a black bar; body slightly elongate	11-spot Coccinella 11-punctata	11-spot *
	With three black spots on each elytron plus the scutellar spot; the foremost spot is usually elongate, forming a dark bar; ground colour often less clear red, more bronze or brown	Hieroglyphic Coccinella hieroglyphica	Hieroglyphic

12	Each elytron with 7 or 8 black spots usually (not always) ringed with cream or yellow; pronotum distinctively marked	Eyed Anatis ocellata	Eyed
	Each elytron with 3 black spots plus scutellar spot; never ringed paler; pronotum different	7-spot Coccinella 7-punctata	7-spot

13	Legs black; underside of abdomen black; markings variable but usually with a single black spot in the middle of each elytron	2-spot Adalia 2-punctata
	Legs some shade of brown though may be blackened on the femora; underside of abdomen brown to orange; spots variable, from 2 to 12 and may form a checker pattern	10-spot Adalia 10-punctata	10-spot typical

14	Elytra unmarked except perhaps for some darkening at the suture (where the elytra touch)	15
	Elytra with definite darker or lighter spots	16

15	Elytra light brown to pinkish; sometimes with a dark smudge at the suture; pronotum with a distinctive M-shaped marking	Larch Aphidecta obliterata	Larch
	Elytra yellow, orange, orange-brown or reddish; pronotum different – with five dark marks	10-spot Adalia 10-punctata

16	Body elongate and rather flattened; ground colour buff with reddish or yellowish tinge; nine black spots on each elytron plus scutellar spot	Water Anisosticta 19-punctata	Water *
	Body domed and a rounded oval shape	17

17	Spots black	18
	Spots pale	20

18	Femora of hind legs predominantly black; underside of abdomen mainly black; colour of elytra yellow, orange, orange-brown, red-brown; markings very variable – spots may be small or large or mixed, from 2-12 in total, or there may be a dark checkered pattern	10-spot Adalia 10-punctata
	Femora of hind legs yellow, orange or brown; underside of abdomen predominantly orange or brown but may be blackish with an orange tip	19

19	Elytra bright yellow; with 11 round black spots on each	22-spot Thea 22-punctata	22-spot *
	Elytra yellowish to cream with distinctly rectangular black markings, often fused to form a characteristic checkered pattern	14-spot Propylea 14-punctata	14-spot

20	Ground colour of elytra orange; with 8, occasionally 7, white spots on each elytron	Orange Halyzia 16-guttata	Orange
	Ground colour of elytra maroon, purple-brown, red-brown to dark brown	21

21	Lacking any white spots or patches near or beside the scutellum; elytra maroon or brown with 5 cream, yellow or orange spots on each	10-spot Adalia 10-punctata (!)	10-spot [pale spotted]
	With white spots or markings around the scutellum	22

22	Spots streaked or elongated, never all rounded	Striped Myrrha oblongoguttata	Striped
	Spots rounded, rarely several fused to look like streaks	23

23	With 6 whitish spots on each elytron plus a rounded scutellar spot on each side of the scutellum; pronotum with white only at the hind corners	Cream-spot Calvia 14-guttata	Cream-spot
	With about 5 whitish spots on elytra plus a series of fused spots on each side of the scutellum forming a distinctive zigzag shape; pronotum broadly pale along the front margin	18-spot Myrrha 18-guttata	18-spot

Photographs © Roy Anderson except those marked with * which are © Mike Majerus / UK Ladybird Survey