| Harmonia octomaculata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Coccinellidae |
| Genus: | Harmonia |
| Species: | H. octomaculata |
| Binomial name | |
| Harmonia octomaculata (Fabricius, 1781) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Harmonia octomaculata is a species of ladybird of the family Coccinellidae. [1] It is found throughout India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Micronesia, and Australia. [2] [3]
It is a rare species of ladybird which is about 8 mm long. Elytra is yellowish dark orange in color with black dots. [4]
Adult female lays eggs singly or in cluster of 21 to 52 eggs on both surfaces of leaf, or sometimes on the dead aphid body. Eggs are yellowish, and oval shaped. With the development, the eggs turned to black and later become completely black before hatching. The length of eggs are about 1.25 to 1.37 mm. The incubation period varied from 3 to 4 days. After split open the eggs at the apical portion, grubs starts to wriggled out. The neonate grubs remained on egg case for some time and then moved towards prey for feeding. First instar larva is dark greyish and covered with spiny structures all over the body. Head with shiny dark head capsule. Legs are also darker in color which are comparatively longer and articulated with oval shaped body. Body length of the first instar is about 1.75 to 2.08 mm. Duration of first instar larva varies from 1 to 2 days. [5]
Second instar larva is shining black with yellowish head capsule. Later it is turned to dark brown to black in color. Body completely covered with spiny structures. Legs are black. Two orange spots can be observed on darso-lateral side of first abdominal segment. Body ventrally flat and slightly convex dorsally. Average length of second instar is about 3.90 to 4.65 mm. Third instar larva is very similar to second instar larva except larger body size. The spiny structures slightly large. Freshly moulted third instar is dark grey to black with orange spots. These spots intensified on darso-lateral side of first abdominal segment. The length of third instar varies from 5.35 to 6.31 mm. [5]
Fourth instar is deep black to dull black in color before pre pupation. A series of orange spots can be found on first and fourth abdominal segments. The length of fourth instar is about 8.04 to 9.98 mm. The total larval developmental period ranges from 8 to 11 days. The full grown fourth instar larva stops feeding and became sluggish with swollen body. It attaches its posterior abdominal segment with leaf surface. The shape gradually transformed into characteristic ‘C’ shape and becomes pupal stage within a short period of time. There are several orange colored spots on the body. The duration of pre-pupal stage varies from 1 to 2 days. Pupa is initially yellowish and shiny. But it later turns to pale orange yellow. Fully developed pupa is yellowish orange. There are black spots found symmetrically on each segment. Female pupa is comparatively larger than male pupa. Pupal stage lasted for about 3 to 5 days before becoming the adult. [5]
During emergence, adult stays for few hours on the pupal case until the body gets hardened. During this period, it is yellowish orange in color. Newly emerged adults are soft, and yellowish in color. However there are no any markings in newly emerged adults. Later, adults turns to yellowish orange with black spots on pronotum and elytra. Male beetle is small, oval, dorsally convex and ventrally flat. Body length is about 5.22 to 6.20 mm. Pronotum yellowish orange with M-shaped black spots. Some males have been observed without black spots. Elyra yellowish orange with two to four black spots. Sometimes it is without black spots on each proximal end. Female similar to male, but large in size with an average body length from 6.20 to 6.88 mm. The last abdominal segment of female was pointed for egg laying, but the male has a round last abdominal segment. The total life cycle of male is about 42 to 49 days, whereas female is about 49 to 57 days. [5]
It is a predator of many whiteflies and aphids such as Aphis gossypii , Myzus persicae , Aphis craccivora , Acyrthosiphon pisum and Amrasca . [4] It is also a known predator of Phenacoccus solenopsis a major pest on cotton, [6] and the moth species, Spodoptera frugiperda . [7]
Atalopedes campestris is a small grass skipper butterfly. It has a wingspan of 35–41 mm. Male is orange, edged with brown, and has a large brown-black stigma. Female is darker with lighter markings in the center of the wing.
Loxura atymnus, the yamfly, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in Asia.
Actias isis is a moth of the family Saturniidae first described by Léon Sonthonnax in 1899.
Coccinellidae is a widespread family of small beetles. They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in the United Kingdom; "lady" refers to mother Mary. Entomologists use the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles to avoid confusion with true bugs. The more than 6,000 described species have a global distribution and are found in a variety of habitats. They are oval beetles with a domed back and flat underside. Many of the species have conspicuous aposematic (warning) colours and patterns, such as red with black spots, that warn potential predators that they taste bad.
Harmonia conformis, the large spotted ladybird, is a species of ladybird. It has a light reddish appearance and its colouration includes 20 large black spots, 18 of which are found on the elytra. They are quite large for ladybirds, being about 6–7 mm long. It is a predator of other insects, eating aphids as both a larva and imago (adult). It is found in Australia, and has been introduced to New Zealand, where it is common in northern regions. Another member of the same genus, Harmonia antipodum, also occurs in New Zealand. This species, however, is a native and is much smaller and harder to find.
Coccinella leonina, common name orange-spotted ladybird, is a species of ladybird native to New Zealand. It is black with orange spots. A predator species, it is present in a variety of habitats.
Loxostege Sticticalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It is found in Russia.
Brumoides suturalis, the three-striped lady-beetle, is a species of ladybird described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1789. It is found in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
Papilio rumiko is a species of swallowtail butterfly. It is found from the south-western United States, through Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica to Panama. The northernmost record is north-eastern Colorado.
Eurybia elvina, commonly known as the blind eurybia, is a Neotropical metalmark butterfly. Like many other riodinids, the caterpillars are myrmecophilous and have tentacle nectary organs that exude a fluid similar to that produced by the host plant Calathea ovandensis. This mutualistic relationship allows ants to harvest the exudate, and in return provide protection in the form of soil shelters for larvae. The larvae communicate with the ants by vibrations produced by the movement of its head. The species was described and given its binomial name by the German lepidopterist Hans Stichel in 1910.
Dichromia orosia, sometimes as Dichromia sagitta, is a moth of the family Erebidae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1913. It is found in Sri Lanka and Australia. The caterpillar is a pest of Marsdenia species, Tylophora asthntatica and Tylophora indica.
Protaetia aurichalcea is a species of flower-chafer beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in Asia.
Neocalaphodius moestus, is a species of dung beetle found throughout the countries in Afrotropical, Palaearctic and Indian subcontinent.
Liatongus rhadamistus, or Scaptodera rhadamistus, is a species of dung beetle found in India, Sri Lanka, Laos and Thailand.
Afidenta misera, is a species of lady beetle widespread in the Oriental region.
Illeis cincta, is a species of lady beetle native to India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Synonycha grandis, commonly known as Giant bamboo ladybird, is a species of lady beetle found in Australia, Oceania and Southern Asia.
Megalocaria dilatata, is a species of lady beetle native to India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
Epistictina reicheana, is a species of leaf beetle found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tasmania.
Silana farinosa, commonly known as curry-leaf tortoise beetle, is a species of leaf beetle native to Indo-China, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and introduced to Peninsular Malaysia.
Media related to Harmonia octomaculata at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Harmonia octomaculata at Wikispecies