''Coccinella'' is the most familiar genus of
ladybird
Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from . They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Great Britain. Some entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as they ...
(or, in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, ladybug). The
elytra of most species are of a red or orange colour, punctuated with black spots or bands. The genus occurs throughout the
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
, but has only 11 species native to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, with far more in
Eurasia.
Its name comes from
Latin ''coccineus'', referring to the color
scarlet
Scarlet may refer to:
* Scarlet (cloth), a type of woollen cloth common in medieval England
* Scarlet (color), a bright tone of red that is slightly toward orange, named after the cloth
* Scarlet (dye), the dye used to give the cloth its color
* ...
.
Adults and
larvae are voracious
predators of
aphids, and some species (e.g. ''
C. septempunctata'') are used as
biological control agents.
References
External links
Photos of ''C. septempunctata'' consuming an aphid
Coccinellidae genera
Beetles of Europe
Insects used as insect pest control agents
Biological pest control beetles
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{Coccinellidae-stub