Synonyms
Rodolia Mulsant, 1850: 902. TS: Rodolia ruficollis Mulsant, 1850.
Eurodolia Weise, 1895: 149. TS: Eurodolia severini Weise, 1895.
Diagnosis
Rodolia can be recognized by its densely pubescent dorsum, large non-emarginate and densely setose eyes, very short 8-segmented antenna bearing indistinct club and flattened, externally angulated tibiae.
Description
Length 2.5-5.0 mm. Body head dorsally exposed; body oval or elongate-oval and convex; winged; dorsum densely hairy. Elytral colour variable, often with darker colour pattern on elytra. Head broad with eyes large, setose and broadly separated on vertex. Antenna 8-segmented; much shorter than head capsule with scape enlarged; antennal club 3-segmented, asymmetrical and indistinct. Terminal maxillary palpomere large, strongly securiform. Pronotal disc evenly convex to narrowly upturned external borders. Prothoracic hypomeron without fovea near anterior angles; prosternum very short in front of coxae, arcuate; prosternal process very narrow, setose without distinct carinae. Anterior margin of mesoventrite straight medially. Elytral epipleuron strongly inclined apically, not foveate. Protibia angulated externally. Tibial spurs absent; tarsi 3-segmented. Abdominal postcoxal line recurved and complete; male with 5th ventrite deeply emarginate apically. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase symmetrical; penis guide symmetrical. Parameres articulated with phallobase. Penis stout, consisting of single sclerite; basal capsule distinct and T-shaped. Apodeme of male sternum 9 absent. Female terminalia. Coxities distinctly elongate, triangular; styli absent; infundibulum absent; sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter. Spermatheca globular without clear cornu; spermathecal accessory gland absent.
Distribution and Biology
Old World; R. cardinalis (Mulsant) has been introduced to many New and Old World countries as biological control agent. Species of Rodolia prey on scales of the genus Icerya and are highly specialized predators.
Genus References
Mulsant, M E. 1850. Species des Coléoptères Trimères Sécuripalpes. Annales des Sciencies Physiques et Naturelles, díAgriculture et díIndustrie, publiées par la Société nationale díAgriculture, etc., de Lyon, Deuxième Série, 2: xv + 1-1104 pp.
Weise, J. 1895. Über die mit Novius Muls. verwandten Gattungen. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique, 39: 147-50.
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
[ Top ]