Technical Abstract: We review the ecology, life history, and effectiveness of Stethorus punctillum, a tiny, black-colored lady beetle of European origin. This lady beetle is a specialist predator of pest mites in greenhouses, interiorscapes, nurseries, and orchards. It attacks pest mites including the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), European red mite (Panonychus ulmi), spruce spider mite (Oligonychus ununguis), and the southern red mite (Oligonychus ilicis). S. punctillum is compatible with the use of predatory mites in IPM systems to control spider mites on peppers and cucumbers in greenhouses. S. punctillum is compatible with the use of fenbutatin, which is an organotin miticide, for added control of spider mites in “hot spots” at normal field rates. In laboratory or greenhouse cultures, S. punctillum females produce an average of 160 eggs over a lifespan of approximately 60 days, under continuous rearing at room temperature. There is an expanding market for S. punctillum and other predators to control spider mites as alternatives to chemical pesticides. There is a great need for a more cost-effective system of rearing S. punctillum at a commercial scale. USDA-ARS researchers are collaborating with biocontrol producers to discover ways of producing this predator at lower cost.