Length: 4 - 5mm.  Background colour: red.  Pattern colour: black spots.  Number of spots: 7-11 (11).  Spot fusions: uncommon.  Melanic (black) forms: no.  Pronotum: black with anterior-lateral white marks; broadest at base.  Leg colour: black.  Other features: black spots occasionally surrounded by a thin yellow ring.

Fourth-instar larva: closely resembles 7-spot ladybird, but smaller and without the conspicuous orange lateral patches on first thoracic segment; abdomen has orange spots in pairs on a grey-black background.  Pupa: black front section but otherwise cream with inner tubercles on abdominal segments forming two dark bands running longitudinally; orange lateral patches on first abdominal segment; inner and outer tubercles on fourth abdominal segment also orange.