Lady beetles (Coccinellidae)
There are 64 genera and 364 species of Coccinellidae described from Australia (Australian Faunal Directory, 2025)
A guide to the beetles of Australia by G. Hangay & P. Zborowski (CSIRO Publishing, 2010) lists the family's characteristics:
- body broadly ovate, highly convex, usually glabrous but some finely pubescent, 1-7 mm in length
- yellow to black, often bicoloured or spotted, some with metallic shine
- head deflexed, concealed from above by prothorax
- antennae short, usually 11-segmented, including a 3-segmented club
- tarsal formula [number of tarsal segments on front, middle and hind legs] 4-4-4, but appears to be 3-3-3 as the third segment is minute and hidden
Adults and larvae of most species are predators of aphids, mealybugs, scales or other small insects and mites. Exceptions are Epilachna species, which are herbivorous on Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae, and Illeis galbula which feeds on powdery mildews (Australian beetles, Vol. 1, eds. J.F. Lawrence & A. Slipinski, CSIRO Publishing, 2013)
Announcements
Discussion
In my novice's exuberance I accidently posted pix of 2 different laybird individuals to the same sighting (4634248), all taken at the same time. I have now updated that sighting to have just one, which is distinguishable by have roughly same sized spots all over, and a relatively rough surface to the wing covers. The 2nd one, which I've now added as a separate sighting, has relatively smooth wing covers, and most distinctively, a couple of pairs of spots that are distinctly smaller than the other spots. I suspect this may have added to some confusion about Spp, although your comments re disitinctions being dependent on genital differences suggest otherwise. Thought I should let you know, as well as thank you for your detailed comments which add to my understanding,
All the Best
MazzV
Epilachna sp. (genus)
Epilachna sp. (genus)
Recent activity
Epilachna sumbana at Copmanhurst, NSW
Epilachna sp. (genus) at Copmanhurst, NSW
Top contributors
- Hejor1 328
- AlisonMilton 258
- kasiaaus 67
- trevorpreston 48
- MichaelBedingfield 42
- ConBoekel 40
- Christine 40
- KylieWaldon 38
- clarehoneydove 37
- RodDeb 34
Top moderators
- AlisonMilton 1.1K
- MichaelMulvaney 243
- MichaelBedingfield 126
- KimPullen 96
- KimberiRP 55
- Amata 51
- RogerF 27
- donhe 10
- WendyEM 6
- abread111 4
