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Te ngoikura

Ladybird

Coccinellidae
Harlequin ladybird [Harmonia axyridis]. Image: Jacob Littlejohn / CC-BY-SA

Harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis. Image: Jacob Littlejohn / CC-BY-SA

Pūtoi
Order
Coleoptera
Whānau
Family
Coccinellidae
Show in English Te Reo

Te Rahi

  • He pītara iti, e 5 mm pea te roa.

Size range

  • Small beetles, up to 5 mm long

Te Tītaringa

  • Nō Aotearoa, nō tāwāhi anō.

Distribution

  • New Zealand native and introduced species

Te Huringa Ora

  • He maha ngā momo muramura ka kitea i te māra, ka kīia he pepeke pai i te mea kua kai haere i te hōpuru nehu, i te aphid, i te pepeke māngaro, i te pepeke unahi me te pūwereriki.

Life history

  • Many colourful species are beneficial in the garden, feeding on powdery mildews, aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and mites
  • Bright colours advertise the fact that blood is toxic to mammals and most birds