Species Curinus coeruleus - Metallic Blue Lady Beetle

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Food · See Also · Internet References

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Cucujoidea

Family Coccinellidae (Lady Beetles)

Subfamily Chilocorinae

Genus Curinus

Species coeruleus (Metallic Blue Lady Beetle)

Other Common Names

Dark Blue Lady Beetle

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

First described in 1850 by Étienne Mulsant as Orcus coeruleus

Curinus coeruleus

Explanation of Names

coeruleus is a spelling variation of Latin caeruleus- "deep/dark blue, as the sky"

Identification

Blue with two orange markings on the pronotum (hard shell between wings and head).

Range

Native to the Caribbean but widely introduced for biological control. Apparently imported to Florida from Mexico in the 1950s.

Food

Normally scale insects (order Homoptera, suborder Coccoidea), but also will feed on aphids and the Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citri)

See Also

Thalassa montezumae - Orange markings are on the wing covers, not the pronotum.

Halmus chalybeus - no orange markings.

Internet References

University of Florida

Larva

Annales des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles d'Agriculture et d'Industrie. Publié par la Societé d'Agriculture et d'Industrie de Lyon, 2nd ser., v.2, p.472 Mulsant's original description of the species (in French)

Contributed by Joshua Stuart Rose on 15 August, 2005 - 2:37pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Chuck Entz, Tim Moyer, Abigail Parker
Last updated 29 April, 2011 - 9:24am

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