### Identification Commonly known as the 22-spot Ladybird, this beetle is a vibrant, electric lemon-yellow that practically glows against green foliage. It is diminutive, measuring only 3–4 mm, with a hemispherical, domed shape. Its most striking feature is its namesake: 20 to 22 crisp, circular black spots peppered across its elytra (wing covers). To distinguish it from the 14-spot ladybird, look at the spots; while the 14-spot has rectangular, "pixelated" markings, *P. vigintiduopunctata* boasts perfectly round dots. Additionally, its pronotum (the shield behind the head) is yellow with five distinct black spots, unlike the black-and-white patterns seen in many other coccinellids.
### Habitat & Range This species is widespread across Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia. It thrives in low-lying vegetation, particularly in damp grasslands, woodland edges, and overgrown gardens. You are most likely to find them on the leaves of shrubs or herbaceous plants like hogweed, umbellifers, and oak saplings, typically at elevations below 1,000 meters where humidity favors fungal growth.
### Behaviour Unlike their aggressive, aphid-hunting cousins, 22-spots are docile "grazers." You’ll observe them methodically patrolling the surface of a leaf, moving with a slow, deliberate gait. They are strictly diurnal, most active during the height of summer. During the breeding season, females lay small clusters of yellow eggs directly onto the leaves of host plants, ensuring the emerging larvae—which are also bright yellow and bristly—have immediate access to food.
### Diet The 22-spot is an obligate mycophage. It does not eat insects; instead, both adults and larvae feed exclusively on powdery mildew (fungi in the *Erysiphales* order). They use specialized mandibles to "mow" the fungal spores and mycelium off the leaf surface, effectively acting as a tiny, organic cleaning crew for the plant.
### Fascinating Fact While most ladybirds are celebrated as "lions of the leaf" for eating pests, the 22-spot is a true vegetarian specialist. It is one of the few ladybirds that provides a service to the plant not by killing insects, but by preventing fungal infections from suffocating the foliage!