Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition

Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds

Vedalia (Rodolia) ladybird beetle (397)


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Summary

  • Worldwide distribution. In Oceania. Australia (native), American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. Preys on Icerya species.
  • Eggs, red, laid on or under scales. Larvae (greyish with black spots) feed on scale eggs (in eggsac), crawlers, larvae; adults red-brown, black behind the head, covered in short white hairs.
  • Important biocontrol beetle.
  • Biosecurity: Need to assess risk before introduction: Icerya may be food for native species, and non-target insects may be attacked by Rodolia, although host range is narrow.
  • Management: (i) avoid use of organophosphates, carbamates and synthetic pyrethroids; possible to use spinosad and abamectin if insecticides required to enhance control ; (ii) use sleeve cages to protect populations initially; control ants: (a) stomach poisons (fipronil, Amdro®, borax), (b) growth regulators (methoprene, pyriproxyfen), (c) nerve poisons (bifenthrin, fipronil, imidacloprid). See (http://piat.org.nz/getting-rid-of-ants). 

Common Name

Vedalia beetle, cardinal ladybird

Scientific Name

Rodolia cardinalis; previously known as Vedalia cardinalis


AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
1Swaine G (1971) Agricultural Zoology in Fiji. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. London; and  Rodolia cardinalis. Wikipedia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolia_cardinalis); and Martin NA (2016) Cardinal ladybird - Rodolia cardinalis. (https://nzacfactsheets.landcareresearch.co.nz/factsheet/InterestingInsects/Cardinal-ladybird---Rodolia-cardinalis.html); and Hoddle M (2013) Biocontrol of Icerya with Rodolia in the Galapagos. UC Riverside. (https://biocontrol.ucr.edu/rodolia/rodolia_icerya_biocontrol_galapagos.html); and from Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit. (http://piat.org.nz/index.php?page=getting-rid-of-ants). Photo 1 Katja Schulz, Rodolia cardinalis. Els Poblets, Alicante, Spain. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vedalia_Beetle_(15959056801).jpg). Photo2  Vijay Cavale, Icerya purchasi, found on a lemon tree in our garden in Bangalore City, India.(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scale_insect.jpg#file). Photo 3 Hectonichus, A larva of Rodolia cardinalis. Genova, Italy. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coccinellidae_-_Rodolia_cardinalis.JPG). Photo 4 Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org.

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project HORT/2016/18: Responding to emerging pest and disease threats to horticulture in the Pacific islands, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Pacific Community.

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