Adalia bipunctata

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Order	Coleoptera
Suborder	Polyphaga
Infraorder	Cucujiformia
Superfamily	Coccinelloidea
Family	Coccinellidae
Subfamily	Coccinellinae
Tribe	Coccinellini
Genus	Adalia

Scientific Name

Adalia bipunctata

Common Name

two-spotted lady beetle

Description

These insects are generally called ladybugs or lady beetles. Like all insects, lady beetles have three body regions; a head, thorax and abdomen. To identify species, examine characters on both the pronotum, a plate that covers the thorax, and the wing covers, which protect the abdomen, for spot and color patterns.

Distinctive Features

Adult: Round and red. Wing covers each with one central black spot. Larva: Black body, orange spot in the center of the fourth abdominal segment.

Life Cycle

Female beetles lay yellow to orange oval eggs in clusters on leaves or stems. Eggs hatch into alligator-shaped larvae and complete four larval instars before pupating and emerging as an adult.

Prey

Aphids, mites, caterpillars, insect eggs, soft-bodied insects.

Habitat

Can be found on leaves, stems, and flowers; in backyard gardens, crop fields, meadows, and woodlands.

Floral Resources

This lady beetle can feed on pollen and nectar in addition to insect prey.

Distribution

Most states coast to coast between Canada and Mexico.

Origin

Native.

Occurrence

Rare.

Size

3.5-5.2 mm.

Color

Black, red.

As a Biological Control

The twospotted lady beetle, Adalia bipunctata, is an aphid predator that most commonly forages on shade trees, shrubs, and fruit trees. It is widely established and common in most of North America.

Commercial Suppliers

Company	State	Country
Nature Insect Control (NIC)	ON	Canada
Park Seed Co.	SC	USA
Plant Products Co. Ltd.	OH	USA
Syngenta Bioline, Inc.	CA	Canada
Biobest Biological Systems	ON	Canada