English▸ noun British English a small beetle with a domed back, typically red or yellow with black spots. Both the adults and larvae are important predators of aphids. North American term ladybug
Family Coccinellidae: several genera and species, including the common European seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata).
– ORIGIN late 16th century (in sense ‘female sweetheart’): the modern sense dates from the late 17th century and may derive from the seven spots of a common species being seen as symbolizing the seven joys and seven sorrows of the Virgin Mary .