Asian lady beetle
(Harmonia axyridis)
A small beetle between 5.5 and 8.5 mm long. This species is contained in the regional black list of invasive species (Regional Government Decree no. 2658 of 16 December 2019).
Description
The Asian lady beetle has highly variable colouring. It is most often red, orange, or yellow with numerous black dots, which may be faint and in some cases nearly absent. Some may also be black with large red or orange spots. The larvae, which are red and black, are longer and flatter than adult insects, and they are also covered in spines. Innocent in appearance like many other ladybirds, they are actually extraordinary aphid predators, so much so that they have been introduced outside their native distribution (Asia) to reduce the number of such pests in agricultural crops.
Habitat
The species frequents meadows and gardens where aphids live.
Observation in the Torbiera Reserve
They are easy to see on the leaves of plants in either adult or larval form.
