Halmus chalybeus

Halmus chalybeus
On an oak leaf
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Subfamily: Chilocorinae
Tribe: Chilocorini
Genus: Halmus
Species: H. chalybeus
Binomial name
Halmus chalybeus
(Boisduval, 1835) [1]

Halmus chalybeus, commonly known as the steelblue ladybird, is a species of ladybird (the beetle family Coccinellidae). It has a rounded appearance with an iridescent blue/green colouration and is a predator of other insects. It was introduced to New Zealand from Australia in 1899 and 1905 to control black scale and blue gum scale (see scale insect) on citrus trees,[2] where it is now common in northern regions. It has also been recorded eating San Jose scale. They are about 3-4 mm long.[2]

Eating the egg of a monarch butterfly

See also

References

  1. "Halmus chalybeus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. 1 2 Crowe, A. (2002). Which New Zealand Insect?. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin. p. 47. ISBN 0-14-100636-6.

Further reading

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