Zagloba (beetle)

Zagloba
Zagloba ornata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Family:	Coccinellidae
Tribe:	Coccidulini
Genus:	Zagloba Casey, 1899

Zagloba is a genus of scalehunter lady beetles in the family Coccinellidae. There are at least four described species in the Zagloba. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The genus Zagloba belongs to the family Coccinellidae, commonly known as lady beetles or ladybugs. These beetles are specialized predators, often targeting scale insects, which are small, sap-sucking pests that infest plants. By preying on these pests, Zagloba species play a significant role in natural pest control, contributing to ecological balance and agricultural health.

Key Features of Zagloba Species:

1.Predatory Behavior: Like many lady beetles, Zagloba species are effective predators, particularly of soft-bodied arthropods like scale insects.

2.Morphology: While specific physical descriptions can vary by species, they generally have a characteristic lady beetle shape—rounded and slightly domed, with coloration and patterning that can vary.

3. Habitat: These beetles are typically found in areas where their prey is abundant, including forests, gardens, and agricultural regions.

Known Species

Currently, at least four species are classified under the genus Zagloba, though the precise number may vary as taxonomic research progresses. Here are a few examples (if available from updated databases or studies, specific species names could be mentioned):

Zagloba bicolor

Zagloba ornata

Zagloba saturni

Zagloba opaca

Ecological Importance:

Biological Control: By feeding on pest populations like scale insects, Zagloba beetles reduce the need for chemical pesticides, benefiting both agriculture and ecosystems.

Biodiversity Indicators: Their presence can indicate the health of an ecosystem, as they thrive in environments with diverse flora and prey availability.

Further studies into Zagloba may reveal additional species and more detailed information about their behavior, distribution, and ecological roles.

Species

• Zagloba aeneipennis (Sicard, 1929)
• Zagloba beaumonti Casey, 1899
• Zagloba bicolor Casey, 1899
• Zagloba hystrix Casey, 1899
• Zagloba ornata (Horn, 1895)
• Zagloba mimica González & Aguilera, 2009
• Zagloba obscura Gordon, 1970
• Zagloba ornata (Horn, 1895)
• Zagloba satana Gordon, 1985

References

1. "Zagloba Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
2. "Zagloba Overview". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
3. "Browse Zagloba". Catalogue of Life. Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-02-27.

Further reading

• Arnett, Ross H. Jr. (2000). American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico. Vol. 2nd Edition. CRC Press. ISBN   0-8493-0212-9.
• Capinera, John L., ed. (2008). Encyclopedia of Entomology. Springer. ISBN   978-1402062421.
• Casey, Thos.L. (1908). "Notes on the Coccinellidae". The Canadian Entomologist. 40 (11): 393–421. doi:10.4039/Ent40393-11.
• Gordon, Robert D. (1985). "The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 93 (1): 1–912. ISSN   0028-7199.
• Gordon, Robert; Vandenberg, Natalia (1991). "Field guide to recently introduced species of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) in North America". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington.
• LeConte, J.L. (1861). Classification of the Coleoptera of North America. Vol. 3. Smithsonian Institution. doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.38459 . ISBN   0665100558.{{cite book}}: ; |journal= ignored (help)
• Poole, Robert W.; Gentili, Patricia, eds. (1996). "A Check List of the Insects of North America: Coleoptera". Nomina Insecta Nearctica. 1: Coleoptera, Strepsiptera. Entomological Information Services: 41–820.
• Vandenberg, Natalia J. (2002). Arnett, Ross H. Jr.; Thomas, M.C.; Skelley, P.E.; Frank, J.H. (eds.). Family 93; Coccinellidae Latreille 1807. Vol. 2, Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press. pp. 371–389. ISBN   0-8493-0954-9.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
• White, Richard E. (1998) [1983]. A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America (Peterson Field Guides) . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN   0395910897.