Unbelievable' discovery in Aussie backyard: 'The world is a better place'
The NSW woman was amazed by the beetles in her backyard. Here's what gardeners need to know about the colourful scene.

Carly Bass·Senior News Reporter
Wed, 12 July 2023 at 2:27 pm AEST·3-min read

An Aussie gardening enthusiast has been left stunned by an incredible discovery in her yard, describing the colourful scenes as "unbelievable".

The NSW woman spotted a large bunch of striped ladybeetles huddled together on tree leaves and branches in the garden of her Bingara home, a small town in the state's north.

"Striped Lady Beetles huddling for winter," she wrote on a hobbyist entomology page on Facebook this week. "The numbers that reside at the old pepper tree are unbelievable! Beneficial I am hoping".


Are these colourful beetles harmful to gardens?

The woman wondered if the beetles were good for her garden in some way, or if the large number of insects could harm it.

Dr Ken Walker, a senior curator of entomology at Museums Victoria, said these colourful beetles (Micraspis frenata) — also known as ladybirds in the US — are "a natural spray can in the garden". This means they're great to have.

"The larvae and most adults eat garden pests such as aphids, scale insects, whiteflies and mites. Estimates put the number of pests eaten as high as 2500 per ladybeetle," he told Yahoo News Australia. "Australia has about 500 species of ladybeetles.