Halmus chalybeus

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Halmus chalybeus
Steelblue Ladybird (Halmus chalybeus) on leaf.jpg
On an oak leaf
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Halmus
Species:
H. chalybeus
Binomial name
Halmus chalybeus
(Boisduval, 1835)  [1]
Synonyms
  • Coccinella chalybeaBoisduval, 1835

Halmus chalybeus, commonly known as the steelblue ladybird, is a species of ladybird in the beetle family Coccinellidae and the genus Halmus that is native to Australia. [2] Adult and larval steelblue ladybirds eat a variety of small insects including but not limited to scale insects, psyllids, whitefly and free living gall mites (Eriophyoidea). [2]

Contents

Appearance

Halmus chalybeus has a rounded appearance with an iridescent blue/green colouration and is a predator of other insects. It was introduced to New Zealand from Australia in 1899 and 1905 to control black scale and blue gum scale (see scale insect) on citrus trees, [3] where it is now common in northern regions. It has also been recorded eating San Jose scale. They are about 3–4 mm long. [3]

Eating the egg of a monarch butterfly H-chalybeus eating monarch egg.jpg
Eating the egg of a monarch butterfly

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Halmus chalybeus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. 1 2 "Steelblue ladybird - Halmus chalybeus - Interesting Insects". interestinginsects.landcareresearch.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2025-02-01. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  3. 1 2 Crowe, A. (2002). Which New Zealand Insect?. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin. p. 47. ISBN   0-14-100636-6.

Further reading


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