This is perhaps the most familiar coleopteran family--almost anyone can recognise a ladybug. Lady beetles are welcomed by gardeners and crop growers alike, as the adults and larvae of many species are predators of soft-bodied pests such as aphids, scales and mealybugs. (There are however, several herbivorous lady beetles that cause injury to crops, the most well-known of which is the Mexican Bean Beetle, Epilachna varivestis.) Lady beetle spots are often used for the identification of species (not the age of the beetle, a common misconception).