Abstract
The ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) have great economic importance as natural enemies. Three hundred individuals belonging to 6 genera and 7 species of the subfamily, Coccinellinae and the tribe, Coccinellini was collected during March-May, 2011 from 3 study sites of Hazara University, Garden Campus, Mansehra, Pakistan. They were reported maximum (83.3%) from residential area and minimum (8%) from administration area. All collected species have glabrous hair on their slightly elongated or rounded bright colored body. The seven-spotted ladybug, Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus) has maximum (average: 6.7 ± 0.77 cm; n = 15) and Adalia tetraspilota (Hope) has minimum (average: 4.2 ± 0.15 cm; n = 14) body length. Moreover, transverse ladybird, Coccinella transversalis (Fabricius) has maximum (average: 4.8 ± 0.35 cm; n = 10) and Oenopia sauzeti (Mulsant) (n = 9) or adonis ladybird, Hippodamia variegate (Goeze) (n = 10) has minimum (3.1 cm) body width. Except six-spotted zigzag ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius) (n = 12), all collected species have black head, varied but attractive and dark in color pronotum and elytra, black scutellum except in fifteen-spotted ladybird, Harmonia dimidiate (Fabricius) (n = 10) which was brownish. The ventral side of body of A. tetraspilota was dark brown, however, C. septempunctata, C. transversalis, H. variegate and O. sauzeti were black; moreover, H. dimidiata was brownish-orange; further, M. sexmaculatus was brown. It is concluded that ladybird beetles of HU have great diversity. Their further studies have been needed for education and awareness.
Highlights
The Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan is situated 14 km to the north of Mansehra town on the right side of Karakurum highway in a serene, peaceful, rural and pollution-free environment
The ladybird beetles were collected from Hazara University (HU), Garden Campus, Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan by dividing it into 3 quadrates: residential area: A; administration area: B and main campus: C during March-May, 2011
Seven species from 6 genera belonging to the single subfamily, Coccinellinae and the single tribe, Coccinellini, which were present in this area, i.e., the ladybird beetle, Adalia tetraspilota (Hope, 1831); seven-spotted ladybug, Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus, 1758); transverse ladybird, Coccinella transversalis (Fabricius, 1781); fifteen-spotted ladybird, Harmonia dimidiata (Fabricius, 1781); adonis ladybird, Hippodamia variegata (Goeze, 1777); six spotted zigzag ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius, 1781) and ladybird beetle Oenopia sauzeti (Mulsant, 1866)
Summary
The Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan is situated 14 km to the north of Mansehra town on the right side of Karakurum highway in a serene, peaceful, rural and pollution-free environment. The bright red on black or black on red color of some adults is aposematic Both are defensive mechanisms against predators [4]. Scientists increasingly prefer the names of ladybird beetles or lady beetles, as they have great economic importance [5]-[7] as predators to many pests [8] and environmental or bio-indicator [9]. They may be entomophagous or phytophagous [10] and expose both potential and real effects on the life of their hosts. Cannibalism of eggs, larvae and pupae are common, especially when prey is scarce They have several generations in a year and reproduction is slowed in winter, when adults may hibernate. The adonis ladybird, Hippodamia variegate (Goeze) completes 4 generations per season on the alfalfa crop, Medicago sativa L. [11]
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