From BugwoodWiki
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This article is a stub. You can help us by expanding the 'Hippodamia convergens' article. |
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convergent lady beetle |
Photo by Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Taxonomy |
| Kingdom: |
Animalia |
| Phylum: |
Arthropoda |
| Class: |
Hexapoda (including Insecta) |
| Order: |
Coleoptera |
| Family: |
Coccinellidae |
| Genus: |
Hippodamia |
| Species: |
convergens |
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Scientific Name |
Hippodamia convergens
Guerin-Meneville |
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Introduction
Identification
Biology
As a biological control
When sold as “lady beetles” or “ladybugs” the species involved is the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens, a native lady beetle found throughout North America. Purchased lady beetles are all field collected insects, captured in high elevation areas of California where they periodically migrate to and mass aggregate, allowing easy collection. Ability of the collected lady beetles to reproduce is suspended (they are in "reproductive diapause") so eggs are not produced for several weeks after release. (Pre-feeding lady beetles prior to release can allow some egg maturation to start and a few companies provide such "pre-conditioned" lady beetles). Lady beetles tend to readily disperse from the area of release. Since they store well, lady beetles are available most of the year, although supplies often are limited by midsummer.
Commercial Suppliers
