Appearance
The elytra of this small beetle are a shiny brown with two reddish-orange spots on each elytron . Sometime three spots run in an horizontal line and join into two larger stains.The mature larva is about 5 millimetres long. Wintering occurs as an adult. The adults grow up to 3–5 millimetres long and can be encountered from May through October.
Habitat
In Europe it occurs in fruit gardens, pine forests, and stone quarries. In Poland it was found on grasses, low vegetation and bushes, on heath lands, under flakes of bark on pines and fruit trees, occasionally in leaf litter and in moss.
Uses
Heather ladybirds feed on aphids and scale insects and is often introduced as a biological control in cases of infestation. In France it is considered to be useful in Citrus orchards.References:
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