Ladybird Beetles (Coccinellidae) 

The Ladybirds are pretty insects with striking colors, usually consisting of black punctiform spots on a red or yellow background, or conversely in clear spots on a darker or black background.

Chulomenes lunata. ASCENSION, 1988.Coccinella septempunctata. ALGERIE, 1994.Heteroneda reticulata. SINGAPOUR, 1985.

In this family, the variations of colouring can be extremely significant and two individuals of the same species can have very different colouration, mainly resulting from a more or less large extension of the black pigment, as in the image below.

Adalia bipunctata. JAPON, 1994.

With the exception of some species which are phytophagous, the larvae and the adults of the majority of the Ladybirds are predators of aphids, scale insects, and spider mites. They are invaluable beneficial insects in agriculture within the framework of integrated pest management and more specifically, biological control. Below, on the left, Chilocorus bipustulatus predator of the cochineal of the date palm Parlatoria blanchardi; on the right, Rodolia cardinalis, predator of the cochineal Icerya purchasi.

Chilocorus bipustulatus. MAURITANIE, 1969.Rodolia cardinalis. TURQUIE, 1980.