Mulsantina picta

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Mulsantina picta
Mulsantina picta.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Mulsantina
Species:
M. picta
Binomial name
Mulsantina picta
(Randall, 1838)
Synonyms

Mulsantina picta (the painted lady beetle or pine lady beetle) is a species of ladybug belonging to the subfamily Coccinellinae.

Contents

Description

Mulsantina picta is a small ladybug, typically 3.3–5.3 millimetres (0.13–0.21 in) long, and 2.2–4.0 millimetres (0.087–0.157 in) wide. The elytral markings are quite variable, and sometimes absent. The pronotal markings are more constant and recognizable.

Distribution and habitat

Mulsantina picta is widespread across the United States and southern Canada. It is especially associated with pine forests [1] and is an aphid and adelgid predator. [2] Thus making M. picta a rather dominant species in older pine trees habitats (since they are conifer specialist), which are known to have low aphid densities. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Harmonia axyridis</i> Species of beetle

Harmonia axyridis is a large lady beetle or ladybug species that is most commonly known as the harlequin, Asian, or multicoloured asian lady beetle. This is one of the most variable species in the world, with an exceptionally wide range of colour forms. It is native to eastern Asia, but has been artificially introduced to North America and Europe to control aphids and scale insects. It is now common, well known, and spreading in those regions, and has also established in Africa and widely across South America. This species is conspicuous in North America, where it may locally be known as the Halloween beetle, as it often invades homes during October to overwinter.

<i>Adalia bipunctata</i> Species of beetle

Adalia bipunctata, the two-spot ladybird, two-spotted ladybug or two-spotted lady beetle, is a carnivorous beetle of the family Coccinellidae that is found throughout the holarctic region. It is very common in western and central Europe. It is also native to North America but it has heavily declined in many states and provinces. It is commonly introduced and imported as a biological control agent.

Coccinella novemnotata, the nine-spotted ladybug or nine-spotted lady beetle or C9, is a species of ladybug in the family Coccinellidae native to North America. This beetle was once ubiquitous across the continent but experienced a sharp and drastic decline around the 1960’s. Now, considered a rare species, the nine-spotted ladybug has received much attention from researchers who wish to understand the causes of its decline and restore the population of this charismatic beetle to benefit from their aphidophagous nature as biocontrol agents in agriculture.

<i>Coccinella septempunctata</i> Species of beetle

Coccinella septempunctata, the seven-spot ladybird, is a carnivorous beetle native to the Old World and is the most common ladybird in Europe. Its elytra are of a red colour, but each punctuated with three black spots, with one further spot being spread over the junction of the two, making a total of seven spots, from which the species derives both its common and scientific names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coccinellidae</span> Family of beetles

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.

<i>Coccinella transversalis</i> Species of beetle

Coccinella transversalis, commonly known as the transverse ladybird or transverse lady beetle, is a species of ladybird beetle found from India across southern and southeastern Asia to Malesia and Australia. It is not to be confused with Coccinella transversoguttata, a widespread species in Europe and North America also known as the transverse ladybird. The alternative vernacular of small transverse ladybird may be used for C. transversalis in instances where these two species are discussed together.

<i>Coelophora inaequalis</i> Species of beetle

Coelophora inaequalis, the variable ladybird, common Australian lady beetle or common Australian ladybug is a ladybird species endemic to Australia, Oceania and Southern Asia. The variable ladybird gets its name from the black markings on the adult elytra, that vary from one individual to another.

<i>Novius cardinalis</i> Species of beetle

Novius cardinalis is a species of ladybird beetle native to Australia. It was formerly placed in the genus Rodolia, but that genus was synonymized under the genus Novius in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chilocorinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

The Chilocorinae are a subfamily of ladybugs in the family Coccinellidae. They feed predominantly on scale insects. They are usually shiny and often have no spots or patterns on their wing covers. Their bodies are in round helmet shapes. They are medium in size and are sometimes seen feeding on cowpea aphids. Some examples include the pine ladybird and kidney-spot ladybird which inhabit the UK, both of which are black ladybirds with red spots. A US example is the twice-stabbed lady beetle.

<i>Calvia quatuordecimguttata</i> Species of beetle

Calvia quatuordecimguttata, the cream-spot ladybird, is a species of ladybird in the family Coccinellidae. Its distribution is holarctic, it being found in Europe and through the East Palearctic to Japan. It is introduced to North America. This ladybird is generally 4 to 5 millimetres in length and varies in appearance depending on the geographical location. It usually lives in hedgerows and deciduous trees.

<i>Coleomegilla maculata</i> Species of beetle

Coleomegilla maculata, commonly known as the spotted lady beetle, pink spotted lady beetle or twelve-spotted lady beetle, is a large coccinellid beetle native to North America. The adults and larvae feed primarily on aphids and the species has been used as a biological control agent. Based on name connotation and to avoid confusion with other species also called "spotted ladybeetle", spotted pink ladybeetle is probably the most appropriate common name for this species.

<i>Cycloneda sanguinea</i> Species of beetle

Cycloneda sanguinea, also known as the spotless lady beetle, is a widespread species of ladybird beetle in the Americas.

<i>Chilocorus bipustulatus</i> Species of beetle

Chilocorus bipustulatus, the heather ladybird, is a beetle species belonging to the family Coccinellidae, subfamily Chilocorinae.

<i>Harmonia quadripunctata</i> Species of beetle

Harmonia quadripunctata, the cream-streaked lady beetle or four-spot ladybird, is a species of ladybird belonging to the family Coccinellidae.

<i>Anatis ocellata</i> Species of beetle

Anatis ocellata, commonly known as the eyed ladybug, is a species of ladybug in the family Coccinellidae. It has black spots on a red background, with each spot surrounded by a yellowish halo. In one color variation, a specimen found in Scotland was reported having the spots fused to form longitudinal lines. Sometimes can also be found variation where black spots are absent.

<i>Exochomus quadripustulatus</i> Species of beetle

Exochomus quadripustulatus, common name pine ladybird or pine lady beetle, is a species of beetle of the family Coccinellidae. The distribution range of E. quadripustulatus includes Europe, Northern Asia, and North America.

<i>Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata</i> Species of beetle

Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata is a beetle in the family Coccinellidae. It is the only member of the genus Subcoccinella. It has the typical, almost semi-spherical, ladybird shape and is patterned with spots. However it differs from many of the well-known ladybirds in being neither smooth and shiny nor an eater of aphids: the wing-cases look velvety and it eats fungal moulds on plants.

<i>Mulsantina</i> Genus of beetles

Mulsantina is a genus of ladybugs, found in North and Central America and in the Caribbean (Haiti).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scymnini</span> Tribe of beetles

The Scymnini are a tribe of insects within the family Coccinellidae. This group includes many small species that are commonly known as dusky ladybugs.

<i>Aphidecta obliterata</i> Species of beetle

Aphidecta obliterata is a species of Coccinellidae, a flying beetle.

References

  1. Ecology and Behaviour of the Ladybird Beetles
  2. Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America
  3. Sloggett, John J.; Zeilstra, Ilja; Obrycki, John J. (2008). "Patch residence by aphidophagous ladybird beetles: Do specialists stay longer?". Biological Control. 47 (2): 199–206. Bibcode:2008BiolC..47..199S. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2008.08.003.