Harmonia axyridis

Harmonia axyridis is oval shaped and convex. It is a polymorphic species, with three main color morphs: red or orange with zero to many black spots (form succinea), or black with either four orange spots (form spectabilis) or two (form conspicua). Several less common morphs exist as well. Darker morphs are more common in its native range, with red or orange morphs more common in Europe and North America. The pronotum is generally white with four black spots that tend to form an "M" shape. This species has very distinct, square "shoulders." The last ventral segment on its abdomen differs between male and female individuals. The eggs of H. axyridis are approximately 1.2 mm in length and yellow in color. Just before hatching, eggs darken to a gray or black coloration. The larvae of H. axyridis have long bodies and are black with orange coloration (including two long orange lines on the dorsal-lateral areas of the abdomen, which start to develop after the first instar and are complete by the fourth and final instar). They have double-branched spines (scoli) running down the length of the body. The larval stages often grow longer than the final adult individual, starting at an approximate length of 1.9 to 2.1 mm in the first instar and growing to 7.5 to 10.7 mm in the fourth instar. Larvae vaguely resemble tiny black and orange alligators. Pupae are exposed and generally shaped like an elongated dome, often attached to leaves. They tend to be orange, with the fourth instar exoskeleton still attached at the point of substrate attachment.

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