Tip Top Bio-Control Technical Bulletin

Coleomegilla maculata
Pink spotted Lady Beetle

Target Pests:
Aphids, Caterpillar pests and mites. Controls green peach, pea, cabbage, potato and melon aphids. Attacks the eggs of European corn borer, asparagus beetle, corn earworm, fall webworm, imported cabbage worm, Colorado potato beetle and Mexican bean beetle.

Description:
The larvae are alligator like and are wingless and have a black segmented body with almost yellow bands. They have 3 prominent sets of legs. The larvae will grow to about 8-9 mm in length. Remember larvae can not fly and will stay where they are placed within crawling distance.
Adults have a large oval body and are orange/yellow and have symmetrical black spots. The adults will be about 5-6 mm long. Eggs normally laid in clusters on the underside of leaves, are spindle shaped, yellow or orange in color and are about 1mm long.

The female lays 200-1000 eggs over her lifetime. Once mating the female will lay egg masses in areas with large numbers of prey. When the larvae hatch out they immediately search and find prey to feed upon.

Product information:
No shipments allowed to Oregon. There are two subspecies available: lengi, which is found throughout the US and the fuscilabris, found in Florida, and is the only specie able to ship into Florida. Coleomegilla maculata is a general predator and feeds on thrips, spider mites, moth eggs, whiteflies and aphids. Larvae and adults are shipped in units of 250 with food. This predator also eats pollen as well as pests, planting flowers in the vicinity that produce pollen will ensure a longer cycle.

Release Rates:
Introduce the beneficial as soon as possible after receipt. Apply predator directly to plants to be treated by hand.

One predator per sq. ft. is recommended.

Lifespan:
Adult beetles live for about 5 months. The larvae will develop and eat prey until full size about 14 days. After the larvae reaches it full development it will attach its abdomen to a leaf surface and begin to pupate and the adult will emerge in about 3-12 days depending on weather, warmer weather means sooner adults. The adult beetle will start laying eggs in 7 days. The female will lay about 10-20 eggs per day.

Strategic Considerations:
Avoid the use of systemic insecticides or pesticides with long residual action.