Seven-spotted Lady Beetle

If you pause for a moment on the small lawn of the Berkeley Center, you might notice a seven-spotted lady beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) searching for aphids. Not to be confused with other lady beetles, the seven-spotted lady beetle has a red dorsal spine with three black spots on each side and one spot distributed at the junction of the two dorsal spines for a total of seven spots. Though you might find them cute, these beetles are an invasive species. Introduced in the U.S. as a form of biological pest control from 1951 to 1971, they now pose a threat to native species of lady beetles in California.