Coccinella septempunctata “Seven-spotted Lady Beetle” Coccinellidae
Drinking Horse Mountain, Bozeman, MT
June 3, 2015
Robert Niese
This species has been repeatedly introduced to the US as a biological control agent to manage aphid outbreaks. It is reportedly out-competing many native species in our area, but still has managed to become the official state insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Tennessee. This individual was likely released as part of an ongoing Fish and Wildlife Service biological control project in the Drinking Horse Mountain area which has also involved intense invasive plant control (with goats!) in the past.
Northwest Naturalist 