Mealybug Ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
Other name: Mealybug Destroyer
A large distinctive species, used as a biological control for Mealybugs, Pseudococcus and present in some glass houses. Not established outdoors.
Identification Length 3.5-4.5mm
Black hairy wing cases, bright orange head and pronotum, with distinctive orange area on rear wing cases and protruding abdomen.
Eyes and legs dark, antennae orange.
The whorled pattern of hairs on the wing cases catch the light at different angles and can create a thread bare appearance, with light and dark patches, similar to Forestier's Ladybird.
Tropical House, Woodthorpe Grange Park, Notts
Tropical House, Woodthorpe Grange Park, Notts
Tropical House, Woodthorpe Grange Park, Notts
Photo by Mark Hows
Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World
Tropical House, Woodthorpe Grange Park, Notts
Habitat
The only way to see this species is to visit greenhouses open to the public, where this species is used for biological control.
Some examples where this species has been recorded include:
Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World, Edinburgh
The Tropical House, Woodthorpe Grange Park, Notts (2023 and 2024).
