The introduction of non-native lady beetles into North America led to the disappearance of several once-ubiquitous species including the New York State insect, the ninespotted lady beetle. Our goal is to sequence the genome of this iconic species and characterize key differences between it and its main antagonist, the introduced sevenspotted lady beetle. These data will help us understand why the ninespot declined and help facilitate our restoration, conservation and education programs.