Harmonia axyridis AKA “Asian Beetle”. Native to Southeast Asia. Artificially introduced to the US for aphid population control, which they allegedly do very well.

And that is their single redeeming quality. Other than that, they are an incredibly annoying pest. I remember being a kid, when they really started to take off in the Midwest, and having to vacuum up thousands of them out of, well, everywhere. I quickly learned that if you used a vacuum cleaner where the dirt gets drawn through the impeller, they would die instantly and that would lessen the awful smell.

We had this antique Hamilton Beach hand vacuum with a large bag on it that was perfect for the job. The distinctive “ping” sound of those little bastards getting obliterated by the cast aluminum death machine was sweet revenge.