Steelblue Ladybird - Halmus chalybeus
FAMILY COCCINELLIDAE
This page contains information and pictures about Steelblue Ladybird Beetles that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia
- Body length 3mm
- This Steelblue ladybird is small in size. The wing covers are uniformly shiny dark green in colour. When viewed form the top, the ladybird is a complete circle. We sometimes find them hunting the Cowpea Aphids on our hibiscus plants. They feed on scale insects as well.
When they hunt for aphids, they will encounter different species of ants. Those ants come for the honey-dew from the aphids. The ladybird helmet shape of wing-covers protect them those ants. They sit with legs and antenna hidden under the wing-covers. The ants just cannot do anything about them.
- The ladybirds can be found on Acacia.
Larva
- Body length 6mm
- The larva was found wandering on leaf alone. We believed it was a Steelblue Ladybird larva.
- Photos were taken near Bulimba Creek in Sunnybank on Nov 200.
Pupa
- This ladybird pupa was found on a Acacia during later winter. We believed it was a Steelblue Ladybird pupa.
- Reference:
- 1. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Their biology and classification - A.Ślipiński, Australian Biological Resources, 2007, p78.
- 2. Steelblue ladybird - San Jose scale - Natural enemies and diseases, HortNET.
- 1. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Their biology and classification - A.Ślipiński, Australian Biological Resources, 2007, p78.
