Adult seven-spotted ladybird Coccinella 7- punctata, sitting on the stem of a stinging nettle plant and feeding on an orange aphid, Macrosiphum rosae. Ladybird larvae and adults, are voracious eaters, consuming large quantities of aphids as their favoured food. They are encouraged by gardeners since aphids are serious pests of flowers, vegetables and some fruit trees. The adult is built like a miniature tank, with its forewings strengthened into a hard protective covering called an elytra. The fragile hind wings, or flight wings, are folded under the elytra. Ladybirds belong to the family of beetles.