Ladybird
![](https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0017/2780/varieties/thumb200.jpg)
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Size range
- Small beetles, up to 5 mm long
Distribution
- New Zealand native and introduced species
Life History
- Many colourful species are beneficial in the garden, feeding on powdery mildews, aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and mites
- Bright colours advertise the fact that blood is toxic to mammals and most birds