Good afternoon, my reader. Many people know that coccinellids (ladybugs) eat aphids and harmful insects such as scale insects or spider mites. But besides useful individuals, there are also harmful ones that can ruin the harvest (especially cucumbers, grapes and potatoes) or painfully bite a person.
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Coccinellid species
Oddly enough, there are quite a few varieties of ladybugs. Some are herbivorous, but most are carnivores.
About 50 species of these insects live in our area, but there are more than 4000 of them in nature.
One of the most common species is the seven-spot ladybug. We have been accustomed to these bugs since childhood. They do not bite, eat pests and do not harm the crop.
With the onset of the first cold weather, the beetles hide under the bark of trees or under fallen leaves and remain in their shelters until the onset of warming. In order to attract ladybirds, some gardeners themselves build "houses" for them, these can be hollow plant stems, sprinkled with sawdust or peat, or purchased products.
Most ladybugs that live in our latitudes are useful. However, there are exceptions.
Cows are phytophages
Phytophages are herbivorous beetles. It is this type of insect that can cause significant damage to the crop. Their habitat is Central Asia and the Far East. At our latitude, only three species of these insects are found.
A distinctive feature of phytophages is a huge number of points on the wings (about 28). They love to eat potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes and other plants. Alfalfa coccinellids live in the south of Russia, which destroy the crops of alfalfa and sugar beet. The waterless ladybug also belongs to phytophages; it also feeds on alfalfa, sweet clover and clover.
There is a melon and potato ladybug. Gourds feed on the skin of young fruits of melon, watermelon and squash, and potato - on the foliage of potatoes and other solanaceous crops. In addition to the fact that these beetles eat the foliage and fruits of plants, they also carry viruses that can cause the death of the crop.
Harlequin cows
Harlequins (Harmonia changeable, 19-point ladybug) is an Asian species of Coccinellidae. These insects can have a variety of colors: black, orange, red, with a different number of dots. You can distinguish them by white dots in the head region, but it is worth noting that the usual species of coccinellids sometimes have such dots.
Harlequins are excellent pest controllers. They were specially brought to vineyards and greenhouses by gardeners of European countries and the USA. This beetle came to us in the early 2000s.
These ladybugs tolerate cold weather and are quite tenacious. They easily adapt to any conditions. Their disadvantage is that they are quite aggressive and crowd out "our" ladybirds, lacewings and butterflies. Harlequins can infect their "competitors" with a special type of fungal infection to which they have an innate immunity. This infection is fatal to other insects. Scientists from Great Britain estimate that about eight species of insects have disappeared due to harlequins.
Harm and benefit
Harm:
- Asian coccinellids eat grapes and fruit of fruit trees. With their enzymes, they impair the taste of products.
- The Asian species of insect bites painfully. Skin irritation, swelling, or swelling may occur at the bite site.
- Harlequins and Asian ladybugs move en masse for wintering in residential buildings. Their discharge leaves traces and an unpleasant odor on furniture, window sills, etc. They can cause allergic reactions.
- Extermination of the crop by phytophagous beetles.
- Displacement of other insects by harlequins.
Benefit:
- Predatory species are used to control harmful insects.
Therefore, some types of ladybugs do not bring any benefit and even harm humans.
It is quite difficult to remove them from residential buildings, since they reproduce very actively. Pheromone traps can be used to kill Asian coccinellids. To prevent bugs from entering the house, they put nets on the windows or use light traps with trapping containers.
Do you think ladybirds are garden pests?
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