Asian traditions hold to the belief that if caught and released, the ladybird will fly to your true love and whisper your name in his/her ear. Upon hearing the ladybird’s message, your true love will hurry to your side.

The number of spots on a ladybird’s back is said to indicate the number of months to pass before the wish for love comes true. The Asian, or Harlequin, ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) can be recognised by its almost circular shape. They're seven to eight millimetres in length, and typically orange, red or black in colour.

Their appearance varies, with some bearing red or black spots and some none at all. The easiest way to identify an Asian lady beetle is to check the pronotum – the black markings on an Asian ladybird look like the letter “W”.

Ladybirds go through four stages in their life cycle: the egg, larva, pupa and adult. Usually found in clusters on the underside of leaves, the yellow oval eggs hatch into larvae in a week.

The mature larvae are often orange in colour with a black abdomen; they spend three weeks in the larva stage before turning into a pupa for yet another week, then finally emerging as a fully developed ladybird. As an adult ladybird, its average lifespan is one year.