''Cryptognatha nodiceps'', known generally as the coconut scale predator or sugarcane scale predator, is a species of

lady beetle 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 ...

in the family

Coccinellidae 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 ...

; it is found in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

region, North America, and

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...

, having been introduced to various countries in an attempt to provide

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

of the coconut scale (''Aspidiotus destructor'').

Description

The larvae of ''Cryptognatha nodiceps'' are dark yellow and elongated, with long waxy outgrowths, and grow to a length of about . The pupae are a similar colour. The adults are shiny, rounded, dome-shaped beetles, about in length. The head and pronotum are brown and the elytra are blackish.

Distribution

''Cryptognatha nodiceps'' is native to Trinidad and Tobago and is present in other parts of the Caribbean region and in Florida. It is also present in Colombia, Guyana, Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, Pakistan and the Philippines. It has been introduced into a number of island groups including Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Vanuatu and Hawaii.

Ecology

The adult female ''Cryptognatha nodiceps'' lives for about five weeks, producing an average of about 140 eggs, with the time between consecutive generations being about six weeks. Eggs are laid singly underneath an empty scale test. Both larvae and adults feed on various

scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the ...

s in the families

Diaspididae Diaspididae is the largest family of scale insects with over 2650 described species in around 400 genera. As with all scale insects, the female produces a waxy protective scale beneath which it feeds on its host plant. Diaspidid scales are far mo ...

and

Coccidae The Coccidae are a family of scale insects belonging to the superfamily Coccoidea. They are commonly known as soft scales, wax scales or tortoise scales. The females are flat with elongated oval bodies and a smooth integument which may be cover ...

, including the coconut scale (''Aspidiotus destructor''), with adults eating about twenty coconut scales in a day. They also consume the coconut whitefly (''Aleurodicus cocois''), but are unable to reproduce on this alone; they do not feed on aphids,

psyllids Psyllidae, the jumping plant lice or psyllids, are a family of small plant-feeding insects that tend to be very host-specific, i.e. each plant-louse species only feeds on one plant species (monophagous) or feeds on a few closely related plants ( ...

mealybug Mealybugs are insects in the family (biology), family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pest (animal), pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and sub ...

s. This lady beetle is used in the

of coconut scale, which has spread from southern Asia to various parts of the tropics and subtropics where coconuts are grown.

Description

Distribution

Ecology

References

Further reading