Transverse Ladybird

Appearance

Measuring 3.8 to 6.7 millimetres long and 3.3 to 5.45 millimetres wide, the Transverse Ladybird shows little variation across its wide range. It has a black head with predominantly bright red or orange elytra boldly marked with a black band down the midline and two lateral three-lobed markings.

Naming

The Transverse Ladybird was first described by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1781 as "Coccinella transversalis" and still bears its original name. Fabricius' description predated Carl Peter Thunberg's naming of this species as "C. repanda" by several months.

Uses

Like many species of ladybirds, the transverse ladybird plays an important role in agriculture as it preys on a wide array of plant-eating insects which damage crops, particularly early in the growing season. Among those insects hunted include many species of aphids, including the pea aphid, "Aphis affinis", cowpea aphid, cotton aphid, milkweed aphid, spirea aphid, leafcurling plum aphid, cabbage aphid, "Cervaphis quercus", "Cervaphis rappardi indica", turnip aphid, "Macrosiphoniella yomogifoliae", potato aphid, rose aphid, "Melanaphis donacis", "Melanaphis sacchari", "Myzus nicotianae", green peach aphid, "Pentalonia nigronervosa", corn aphid, "Sitobion rosaeiformis", "Taoia indica", "Toxoptera aurantii", "Therioaphis ononidis", "Therioaphis trifolii", "Uroleucon compositae" and "Uroleucon sonchi", species of leafhopper including "Empoascanara indica" and "Idioscopus clypealis", the scale insect species "Orthezia insignis", the Asian citrus psyllid, and owlet moth species the cotton bollworm and oriental leafworm moth.