Knowledgebase
identifying two insects #434196
Asked November 09, 2017, 10:03 PM EST
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for attaching the images of the insects as they help point us in the correct direction.
The pale-colored, rather large, shield-shaped insect is a stink bug nymph (youngster). It’s challenging to identify it specifically because it does not have the adult coloration as yet. Some stink bugs are native to Oregon while others aren’t. Beyond that, some stinkbugs are considered to be beneficial insects whereas others are either insignificant to home gardeners or nuisance pests.
The small orange and black thing is a pupa (the resting stage) of a lady beetle. Lady beetles are also called ladybugs.
This website -- “Convergent lady beetle” -- illustrates the 4 stages in a lady beetle’s life cycle: egg (lower left); adult (upper left); larva (youngster; upper right); and pupa (lower right). Many different kinds of lady beetles exist, and this one may be the same as in your image: Hippodamia convergens. If so, it is one of the most common lady beetles in North America. Lady beetles are helpful insects because they help to get rid of small, soft-bodied insect pests.