| Illeis galbula | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Coccinellidae |
| Genus: | Illeis |
| Species: | I. galbula |
| Binomial name | |
| Illeis galbula (Mulsant, 1850) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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Illeis galbula, the fungus-eating ladybird, is a species of beetle in the family Coccinellidae.
Adults are 4-5mm in size, while the larvae are between 8 and 10mm. [2] Adults are black with bright yellow markings. [3] Larvae are grey with black tubercles covered with short spines. [3] The pupa is pale yellow with black tubercles and lateral spurs. [3]
During the day it is fast moving and readily flies or drops when disturbed. [2] The pupa are active and often stand on end. [2] Adult and larval fungus-eating ladybirds are often found in gardens where they eat powdery mildew on cucurbit crops like pumpkin and zucchini. [4] In Australia, overwintering adults feed on pollen of wattles and privet species during spring. [3]
This species is native to Eastern Australia. [3] It is a non-native species in the North Island of New Zealand, first found in Auckland in 1985. [3] They are also found in New Guinea. [3]
