Biological and Ecological Characteristics of the Ladybird Beetle (Lemnia biplagiata Swartz, 1808) (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera)

This paper studies the ladybird beetle in the laboratory at two average temperature levels:  22.2 ± 0.02 and 30.7 ± 0.03oC with average humidities of 69.5 ± 0.05 and 86.8 ± 0.06%, respectively, using Rhopalosiphum maidis as prey to observe its biological characteristics. The study results show that the ladybird beetle completes its life cycle in a time range from 19.75 ± 5.75 days at 30.7 ± 0.03oC and 86.8 ± 0,06% RH to 25.75 ± 6.50 days at 22.2 ± 0.02˚C and 69.5 ± 0.05% RH. The survival rate of ladybird larvae and the percentage of larvae aged 4 into pupae at 22.2 ± 0.02˚C and 69.5 ± 0.05% RH were higher than those at 30.7 ± 0.03oC and 86.8±0.06% RH by 32.4% and 8.24%, respectively. Using Rhopalosiphum maidis as food, the ladybird beetle larvae’s food consumption increases from age 1 to age 4 and the adults consume more food than the fourth-stage larvae by 11.60 R.maidis/day at 22.2 ± 0.02˚C and 69.5 ± 0.05% RH. At 30.7 ± 0.03oC and 86.8 ± 0.06% RH, the ladybird beetle larvae’s R. maidis food consumption at all phases was about 2.5 times higher than at 22.2 ± 0.02˚C and 69.5 ± 0.05% RH.