ADW: Adalia bipunctata: Information

2009/11/29 01:28:47.978 US/Eastern

By Robin Street

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Suborder: Polyphaga

Family: Coccinellidae

Genus: Adalia

Species: Adalia bipunctata

Geographic Range

Native to North America (Marshall 2000).

Biogeographic Regions:
nearctic (native ).

Habitat

Lady beetles will live in nearly any vegetation, as long as there are aphids or other small insects to eat.

Terrestrial Biomes:
savanna or grassland ; chaparral ; forest .

Physical Description

Mass

Adult two-spotted lady beetles are 4-5mm long, and ovoid in shape. The head and thorax is black with yellow markings. Their undersides are black to reddish-brown; Their elytra (wing covers) are orange with one black spot on each side. The larvae are elongate, with soft bodies, and are black with yellow and white spots (they look a little like tiny alligators) (Marshall 2000, Milne & Milne 2000).

Some key physical features:
ectothermic ; bilateral symmetry .

Reproduction

Females deposit bright yellow eggs on the underside of leaves and other locations near potential food sources for the larvae. Pupae are black with yellow dots and are found hanging from leaf surfaces. Adults in the North live through the winter; there can be more than one generation in a year.

Behavior

Adults overwinter in large groups under logs, leaves, and bark. They occasionally enter buildings by accident, looking for a sheltered place to hibernate. If they get into a heated house they may be doomed, as the warmth keeps their metabolism going, and they may use up their fat and water reserves before spring.

Food Habits

Lady beetles feed on aphids and other small insects, insect eggs, and mites.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Can be a nuisance if large numbers get inside houses (Klaas 1998, Fleming 2000).

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

This species helps control populations of aphids that are agricultural and horticultural pests.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List: [link]:
Not Evaluated.

US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.

CITES: [link]:
No special status.

Non-native lady beetle species have been introduced into North America for additional aphid control, and there is some concern that these species are displacing native species like the Two-Spot. (Marshall 2000)

Other Comments

These insects were given their name in the Middle Ages when they were dedicated to "Our Lady" in gratitude for their ridding crops of harmful insect pests.

Some people find it a nuisance when lady beetles come into their houses in large numbers to hibernate. The best course of action is to sweep or vacuum them up gently, and seal cracks to prevent them from gaining entry (Klaas 1998).

Ladybugs are more properly known as lady beetles, because "bug" applies most accurately only to insects in the order Hemiptera.

For More Information

Find Adalia bipunctata information at

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Robin Street (author), University of Michigan.

References

Fleming, R. 2000. "Lady Beetles" (On-line). Accessed 03 March 2001 at http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/MES/notes/entnotes6.html.

Klaas, C. 1998. "Lady Beetles In Homes, Cornell Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet" (On-line). Accessed March 21, 2000 at http://www.cce.cornell.edu/factsheets/home/pests/lady-beetle.html.

Marshall, S. 2000. "Lady Beetles of Ontario" (On-line). Accessed 03 March 2001 at http://www.uoguelph.ca/~samarsha/lady-beetles.htm.

Milne, L., M. Milne. 1980. Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. New York: Knopf.

2009/11/29 01:28:48.746 US/Eastern

To cite this page: Street, R. 2001. "Adalia bipunctata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 01, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Adalia_bipunctata.html.

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative,
the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support. Report Error — Comment
©1995-2008, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors.
All rights reserved.

Adalia bipunctatatwo-spotted lady beetle(Also: twospotted lady beetle)