this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2026
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Does everyone agree that ladybugs smell terrible??!
Not all of them do. I always thought of them as "good" and "bad" ladybugs. The bad ones stink. I have a feeling it correlates with lighter color. More orange than red. But this is purely anecdotal ๐
This reminds me of when I chatted with someone who had synesthesia.
If you live in the US, the orange ones may be Asian lady beetles, an invasive species. They don't smell great.
The ones that come into your home in the winter are probably Asian lady beetles, as true ladybugs overwinter outside.
Yes, beetles in general don't smell great to me. They leave a fecal-like scent on my fingers when I hold them (Which I've always assumed is some sort of musk and not actual feces). I can smell ants too, but it's only when they're scared: They seem to release a chemical that smells to me like Windex the moment they realize they're possibly in danger. I didn't know that made me special, but I do know that others might not be able to smell it as I've had conversations about this with people who didn't know wtf I was talking about. I've heard that it might be formic acid? Not sure.
Funny because I don't normally have a very sensitive nose. And I'm not a super-taster, cilantro tastes like cilantro to me (Fresh and herbally).
Yes! I'm not super sensitive to them, but one time in school I had one land on me and curiosity got the better of me. Never again!