This species is only moderately cannibalistic, larvae are gregarious, and there is a low level dispersion of eggs by the female. The twospotted lady beetle is less likely than other coccinellids to leave the trees before the aphids have been controlled. Females possess high fecundity, averaging 30 eggs per batch. These traits combine to produce high predatory efficiency on apple aphid. The twospotted lady beetle overwinters as adults in small aggregations, averaging about 3 beetles per cluster, in tree crevices, house walls, etc.
Beetles prefer south-facing walls or crevices.
The color pattern is highly variable in Europe, but not in North America. Adults have an oval shape, with the head often hidden past the eyes. There is white on the edge of the pronotum and a pale band between the eyes. This species has a round shape. The head, like that of the twospotted lady beetle, is largely hidden by the pronotum.