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Prefered young red pine stands that are not too dense, apple and peach orchids, cereal crops such as corn and oats and alfalfa fields before C. septempunctata was introduced and became widespread in the North American continent (Hodek, 1973). Their most predictable habitat now, may be, scruff pea plants along the edge of sand dunes, Purple Spring sand hills in Alberta and Burnstall dunes in Saskatchewan (Acorn, 2007).

It has two generations in one summer. But unlike C. septempunctata there are no indications of overlap. The spring generation goes into diapause due to the increasing day length in summer and the summer generation goes into diapause due to decreasing day length in fall (Acorn, 2007).

4.0-7.0 mm long. A pale orange, rounded ladybug with nine black spots on the wing cover. Narrow black pigment where the wing cover meets, a feature that helps distinguish it from seven-spot ladybug (Acorn, 2007; Belicek, 1976). It also has spotless forms that can be confused with other spotless ladybugs. In that situation it is best to use the colouration and patterns on the head. It exhibits no sexual dimorphism (ADW, 2012).

Larvae hatch from an egg after approximately 4 days. Larvae has four instars, the first takes 22.6%, second takes 15.9%, third takes 18.5% and the fourth takes 42.9% of the total developmental time (Hodek & Honek, 1996). It takes the larvae four-five days to reach the third instar, after approximately seven more days it reaches the end of fourth instar. Just like C. septempunctata larvae stop feeding 24 hours before pupating. It spends four days pupating and then emerges as an adult and spends one full day strengthening and pigmenting its elytra. Not much is known about the mating habits of C.novemnotata, but they are speculated to be similar to those of C. septempunctata. It is known though that the adult takes two to four days to become sexually mature. Adults breed continuously for most of the summer until just before diapause (ADW, 2012).

At one time it had a wide range all over North America, including Mexico and Guatemala (its native habitat) (Crotch, 1874). But it was considered extirpate from much of eastern United States and Canada, until it was discovered in New York in 2011 (EOL, n.d.). It has continued survival in Alberta and Saskatchewan (Acorn, 2007).