Rodolia

Rodolia
Rodolia cardinalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Subfamily: Coccidulinae
Tribe: Noviini
Genus: Rodolia
Mulsant, 1850

Rodolia is a genus of ladybird beetles belonging to the family Coccinellidae.

Selected species

This genus include about 50 species:[1]

Description

Rodolia species have a semispherical body, covered with dense, short hairs. They are reddish-purple, with or without black spots.

Adults of Rodolia species feeding on females of cottony cushion scales (Icerya species)

Rodolia species regularly feed on aphids and small mites, which makes them good as biological control agents.

The most famous species is Rodolia cardinalis, introduced for purposes of biological control in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world and become so cosmopolitan. Other species have been introduced in more restricted areas (Micronesia) always for the biological control of insects.

Distribution

These species are worldwide widespread.[2] They are mostly native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia (China, Taiwan, Pakistan, India, Indochina, Indonesia) and Oceania (Australia, New Guinea), associated with scale insects.

References

  1. ↑ NCBI
  2. ↑ Fauna europaea


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