Coccinellidae Latreille, 1807
most species with distinctive broadly oval to spherical shape, strongly convex dorsally and flat ventrally. Tarsi appearing 3-3-3, but actually 4-4-4 with 3rd segment minute and some bilobed segments; short legs. Head often concealed by pronotum. Antennae short (8-11 segments) with a 3- to 6-segmented club. Many species are brigthly coloured, patterned with spots. some are shiny and smooth, others covered in short hairs. Larvae are elongate, soft-bodied, usually black with soft spines and long sickle-shaped mandibles.
Both adults and larvae of most species are predacious on soft-bodied insects such as aphids, scale insects, mites etc. They are valuable as biological control agents on aphids and scale insects holding down the outbreaks. When alarmed some species secrete drops of heamolymph which is toxic to vertebrates.