There are so many colors of Ladybugs around. There are also some colors that are just photoshopped images! So it’s nice to see an unusual colored one that IS actually real – and what could be nicer than a White Ladybug?
I’m assuming you arrived here because you just heard of them? Or you just found one and are looking to identify it. So what are White Ladybugs?
White Ladybug? There are three species of White Ladybug in the Coccinellid Family of Lady Beetles. The 15 Spotted Ladybeetle. White with 15 black spots. The Ashy Gray Lady Beetle comes in a number of forms, including a black version. And the rare 20 spotted Psyllobora vigintimaculata. Let’s identify yours
You might also refer to these Lady Beetles as Grey – or Gray Ladybugs, White Ladybugs, Black and White Ladybugs, Gray and Black Beetles, and even Albino Ladybugs.
Either way, this article answers the question for all of them and encompasses all those descriptions – as they amount to the same thing.
In order to establish which one you have out of the three though, let’s take a further look at them, and perhaps give you some additional facts and information about them at the same time.
Before we get started…
Does your white ladybug look like this?
Before we get started, if your white ladybug looks like this image, then you need to go here for more information.
If not, then let’s proceed…
The Albino Ladybug
I feel I need to address this name first, it’s not actually a specific type of Ladybug. What may look like an Albino Ladybug is merely a perception that a white and black ladybug must be an Albino!
In fact, the truth is it’s likely one of the following three types of Ladybugs that you’ve actually found.
The 15 Spotted Lady Beetle
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Euarthropoda > Class: Insecta > Order: Coleoptera > Family: Coccinellidae > Genus: Anatis > Species: A. labiculata
This species was officially discovered in 1824. The main Lady Beetle ‘Family of Beetles’ was officially documented around 1807. So it wasn’t long after before the 15 spotted Lady Beetle was found and named.
image By discoverlife.org
If you have an image of this and would like to offer to send it in, then please leave a comment below and I’ll email you to take a look. Then I’d be happy to add some to the gallery (with permission of course)
This species is typically white, almost pure white in the case of younger ones, with 15 spots on its Elytra (the outer protective shell)
The White Ladybug is the Fifteen Spotted Lady Beetle and is a native species to North America, of which there are 400+ native species.
If this is what you’ve found then sorry to disappoint you – but they’re actually fairly common.
Having said that, as mentioned, they actually get darker as they get older, so if you have a more pure white one then it’s still quite young.
In fact, it’s been spotted as far south as Argentina, so they appear to have spread into South America. Let me know where you located yours so I can get this verified, to help properly map any further migration.
Did You Know…
The Elytra (shell) is made of the same material as your fingernails.
Show me more Amazing Facts About Ladybugs
Ashy Grey Lady Beetle
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Arthropoda > Class: Insecta > Order: Coleoptera > Suborder: Polyphaga > Superfamily: Coccinelloidea > Family: Coccinellidae > Subfamily: Coccinellinae > Genus: Olla > Species: Olla v-nigrum
Found and named by an entomologist called Mulcent in 1866. The Ashy Gray Lady Beetle Coloring is a white or grey shell (elytra) and from 2, up to 15 black spots.
The shell may look ashen or mottled in color too. The Larva is the usual alligator shape, but with a flash of yellow stretching from its midway to head, and also across the lower abdomen.
Also, strangely, there’s a unique version of the Ashy Grey Lady Beetle in the same family – species called ‘twice stabbed’. The coloring on this is all black with red splashes – hence the name twice stabbed.
They have one large red splash (or large red dot) either side on of the Elytron. They have also been found to have Gray Elytra coloring with black spots
Here’s a wonderfully captured photo of an Ashy Grey Lady Beetle Ladybug taken
Image by Arthur Scott Macmillan, California.
The spots on Ladybugs fade over time, the same has occurred here for this Ashy Grey, so yours may look like this.
If so then treat it with care, it’s a ‘senior citizen’ in the Ladybug world!
Image source: By xpda – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Finally, here’s a variant on the Ashy Grey Lady Beetle – and I think my favorite of all the white ones!
Image by Salvador Vitanza, Arizona.
The Ashy Gray Lady Beetle is also native to North America and is also believed to have traveled extensively through South America.
Again do let me know where you have seen these types so I can verify and help track migration progress
Here’s one sent in by Rachael Andrews, this one was actually found in Okinawa, Japan – seems they’re spreading!
Looks dark in color so it could be an older one too.
Here’s another great photo of an Ashy Gray Lady Beetle kindly sent in by Jennie, found in Loma Linda, Ca.
Does Ashy Gray Lady Beetle Bite
Ashy Gray Lady Beetles do bite, some ladybugs are more likely to bite than others.
However, white Ladybug bites are generally not harmful at all to humans and might only cause minor irritation.
Unless you have a particular reaction to beetle bites, in which case I would urge you to consult your doctor if you are unsure or have anything other than a minor red area.
Ladybugs are only likely to bite you either if they feel threatened enough to use one of their five protection mechanisms, or if they mistake your warm skin for a soft-bodied insect. Or one of the other things that Ladybugs eat.
Quick Quiz
How high can a Ladybug fly?
600’, 3600’ or 5600’
Find the Answer here
Finally, we have the very rare…
Twenty-Spotted Lady Beetle
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Euarthropoda > Class: Insecta > Order: Coleoptera > Family: Coccinellidae > Genus: Psyllobora > Species: P. vigintimaculata
These are pretty rare. If you see one then do take a photo and send it in. They’re found (sometimes!) in most parts of North America so wherever you live there’s a chance of finding one. It’s not yet known if they’ve migrated to South America.
The 20-spotted Ladybug is quite rare. Their coloring is predominantly white Elytra, with a mottled spot effect that often seems to blend into one another.
If you’ve found one that you can’t seem to identify then please send it to me and I’ll try to investigate further.
Ever seen a Purple Ladybug?
General Grey or White Ladybug Questions
Are Grey Ladybugs Poisonous
Grey or white Ladybugs are definitely not poisonous to humans. If they bite it should only cause minor irritation – except in extreme cases. And there’s no venom in their bite. If in doubt or you have a reaction to it then consult your doctor
If you swallow one, don’t panic. You would have to eat a hundred or more before you really started to feel ill. Aside from that being cruel, I don’t recommend it! For one thing, they can taste pretty bad.
Grey Ladybug or White Ladybug Meaning, (and Spiritual Symbolism)
A white Ladybug arriving in your life, or dreams carries the same meaning as all other Ladybugs.
What Do White Ladybugs Eat?
White Ladybugs eat the same as most (but not all) Ladybirds. They love dining mostly on Aphids and Mealybugs, but will also eat other food types.
Do White Ladybugs Bite?
All Ladybugs bite, but their bite is not harmful to humans, unless you have an allergy to bites from beetles, if so you should consult a doctor.
There are no toxins or poisons of any kind passed through their bite. They are just protecting themselves, or thought you were a potential meal!
White Ladybug – Conclusion
White Ladybugs are something special, like little angels of the Ladybug world. I know they’re actually fairly common for the most part, but I do wish there were more of them around.
I hope you found this useful, if so please share it and pass around the White Ladybug love in the world.
Also, be sure to check my especially collected Ladybug gifts for protection and beauty, as well the Green Kid Craft Educational resources to help you give that perfect Ladybug class or home lesson.
Related Questions
Can ladybugs live in the cold? Ladybugs have an annual cycle that includes the need to hibernate through cold weather. During winter months they cannot fly and so find a slightly warmer place to stay and enter a state known as diapause, or hibernating state.
Whilst hibernating, Ladybugs only expend about 10% of their energy levels, whilst surviving on body fats. They will often find refuge in houses.
I found a white-ish ladybug in my yard and want to know what type it is. How do I send it to you?
Thanks Melissa, that’s interesting, I have received so many replies over the last year that I cannot respond to them all. So yes please send it to hello@ladybugplanet.com and I’ll take a look, but I can’t promise to respond I’m afraid.
I have found a white / grey ladybug with 16 black spots today. I managed to get a picture. I’m based in the United Kingdom
Hi,
Just wanted to touch base with someone who may actually have knowledge about ladybugs!! My daughter and I found a white ladybug with what looks like love heart shaped dots. We couldn’t find any damaging information about it so we let it out in our garden. Ladybugs are actually quite rare here. I wish we had lots more to help eat all of the aphids. Anyhoo, I hope it is a safe ladybug for the garden and we didn’t unknownly let some horrible pest get out into our backyard. Thank you for your time!
Hey Lisa, thank you and your daughter for dropping by. The Ashy Grey Lady Beetle is the only known species with Heart Shaped spots, so I’m thinking you were on the right page. I’ve updated the article to include the variant with the larger two heart spots. This may also be what you saw.
They’re fairly common, and they’re definitely ‘good bugs’ so I hope it helps your plants! You said you don’t see many Ladybugs – where are you based? 🙂
Hi! I think I just found an Ashy Grey Lady Beetle and I was wondering if you could take a look at a photo I took of it.
Thanks!
– C
Thanks for dropping by Claire, yes of course, please send it to hello@ladybugplanet.com and I’ll be happy to take a look as and when I can. I’m still working through a backlog of readers’ Ladybug images and missing so many – so I can’t promise I’ll be able to respond, unfortunately.
I found a silver lady bug with black spots. I’ve never seen one and would like to clarify what I’ve found. I’m in Fowlerville Michigan..
hi there i seem to have spotted a 15 spot white ladybug in Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands of Great britain is this unusual?
Hi Berni, thanks for stopping by to update me, wow, yes that is unusual, seems they might be spreading west perhaps.
Strays are possible …but without a reasonable quantity they may not be able to establish a colony in the area. I’ll update the article at some point if I see more evidence of a sustained population in that area. Thanks again.
I have a photo to share. Where can I share it?
Thank you Stephen, please send it to hello @ ladybug planet dot com, I don’t get around to them very often and seem to have a backlog! But I will respond if I can. Thank you.
Today I was inside my drs office. As I was talking to my dr I felt a sharp pain on the top of my hand. I looked at my hand and it looked like a white ladybug. I have never seen or even heard of a white ladybug until finding your site. I brushed it off my hand and sure enough it bit me and I was bleeding! Needless to say I’ve always loved ladybugs as I do not like most bugs. Now I am a little disheartened by ladybugs. Was it because it was white that it bit me? Or now I have to be on the lookout for ladybug bites?
Hi Jennifer, sorry to hear that. Yes, Ladybugs can bite, but white ones are not known to be aggressive, and I’ve certainly not heard of any drawing blood! I don’t think you have much to be concerned about. Strangely it is possible to have a fear of Ladybugs! I hope it hasn’t put you off them and thanks for sharing your Ladybug encounter 🙂
Found a grey lady bug here on maui. Kahului to be exact. I have a beautiful close up image of this fascinating creature. Email me and I can send it!
I have never seen a white lady bug before. I took a couple pictures of it. I think they are beautiful.
Here is my pic of the white lady bug we saw today! Its Beautiful.
I think I saw a Ashy Grey Ladybug on my cactus. I took pictures and video of it. I’d like to share with you for your website. Email me. Thanks.
I think I’ve found a Twenty-Spotted Lady Beetle, as it’s spots are mottled, but I’m still not sure. I’d love to add my photo to the collection either way!
Thank you Rin, I have a backlog to add to the collection and will probably start a gallery, please email it to me if you can.
Hello!
Thank you for the informative article! I have just sent you a photo of 15 spotted lady beetle that I found today in Minnesota 🙂
So I’ve had two land on me in just two days, I’ve never seen one before? The first on my back that was difficult to get off and the other just now on my foot and it bit me!!! It hurt!! I’m North Western Ontario 2 hours from the Manitoba border
Hello! I have a photo of a lovely Ashy Gray Lady Beetle that landed on me yesterday. Googled what it was and found your page! I’d love to add to your collection of photos.
Have never been biten by a ladybug, but today i was out and felt a sharp pain biting me. It was a white lady bug which i have never seen before.. At first i was scared it was a tick as ive never seen one… I think from the pictures it was likely the ashy grey ladybug.. In Farnborough UK 🙂
I found a Ashy Grey today in Starbuck,M.b,Canada.
I found a white ladybug🐞 could you check to confirm my suspensions
Hi, the Ladybug I saw was completely white, I didn’t even notice the gray dots. It flew away when I extended my finger for her to climb on it. It was inside my car door, landed there when I opened the door. I have never seen that before. Thank you
I have a pic I took yesterday. Would like to send to you.
Thank you, Kevin. I am snowed under with pics of them from lots of wonderful readers. But thank you anyway. 🙂
Interesting to find out how many ladybug species their are in the world. 🙂
I’ve never see. A white lady big till today! So excited to see this beauty in my garden. Email me if you would likes pictures
That’s great news Angela. I now have sooo many pictures from wonderful people sending them in that I don’t know what to do with them all! 🙂 But thank you for the offer.
Just saw the ashy gray ladybug in Oahu, Hawaii today! My friend who grew up in Hawaii said he has never seen one before until today.
I was at a park in Round Rock, Tx and came across an albino ladybug on our picnic table! Snapped a pic before it went on it’s way.