vayda on Nostr: 🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨 The adult lady beetle (ladybug or ladybird beetle) is ...
🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨
The adult lady beetle (ladybug or ladybird beetle) is metallic dark blue, green, or purple and about 1/8 to 1/6 to inch (3–4 mm) long. Females are uniformly dark. Males have orange or yellow on the head and outer margins of the pronotum. Adults are round when viewed from above and dome shaped (convex) when viewed from the side. They have a distinct outward flare (ridge) on the bottom margins of the wing covers.
Halmus chalybeus (then incorrectly named Orcus chalybeus) was introduced from Australia into Southern California in 1892 for the biological control of mealybugs and scale insects infesting citrus. It now occurs in at least coastal areas of Central and Southern California.
Its prey is mostly scales including armored scales, eriococcids, and soft scales. It also feeds on other plant-sucking insects formerly called Homoptera, such as aphids and psyllids.
The adult lady beetle (ladybug or ladybird beetle) is metallic dark blue, green, or purple and about 1/8 to 1/6 to inch (3–4 mm) long. Females are uniformly dark. Males have orange or yellow on the head and outer margins of the pronotum. Adults are round when viewed from above and dome shaped (convex) when viewed from the side. They have a distinct outward flare (ridge) on the bottom margins of the wing covers.
Halmus chalybeus (then incorrectly named Orcus chalybeus) was introduced from Australia into Southern California in 1892 for the biological control of mealybugs and scale insects infesting citrus. It now occurs in at least coastal areas of Central and Southern California.
Its prey is mostly scales including armored scales, eriococcids, and soft scales. It also feeds on other plant-sucking insects formerly called Homoptera, such as aphids and psyllids.