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Why the Adalia bipunctata ladybug?
Adalia bipunctata is found throughout Europe. Highly voracious, it feeds on numerous aphid species. It is harmless to health, biodiversity and the environment. It can be used in organic farming (AB) and is compatible with the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Adalia bipunctata larvae
- Versatility: consume many aphid species
- High voracity: up to 600 aphids consumed per larva over its entire cycle
- They don’t fly, so they stay where you put them. Ideal for localized treatment.
Adults Adalia bipunctata
- Versatility: consume many aphid species
- High voracity: up to 100 aphids per adult per day
- Wide-ranging action: highly mobile, they actively seek out aphid outbreaks over large areas.
- Egg-laying: long-term natural regeneration
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Your questions
What does Adalia bipunctata mean?
Two-spotted ladybug. Contrary to popular belief, the number of dots does not indicate the age of the insect.
Is the ladybug Adalia bipunctata a local species?
Yes, it occurs naturally throughout Europe. It is one of the 250 species of ladybug found in Europe.
Is the Adalia bipunctata ladybug threatened by the invasive Harmonia axyridis Asian ladybug?
Yes, because the Asian ladybug reproduces very quickly, is more resistant to winter and eats the eggs and larvae of the Adalia bipunctata ladybug, as well as other local species.
Can biological control with ladybugs cause ecological imbalance?
No, because the release is always targeted and involves limited numbers of ladybugs.
What is the life cycle of the ladybug Adalia bipunctata in the wild?
In spring, the adults emerge from overwintering. For a few weeks, they reproduce and lay yellow-orange egg packets (minimum 10 eggs per packet) on leaves near aphid colonies. After 3 to 5 days, the eggs hatch.
The larvae that emerge from the eggs eat aphids and grow for 10 to 15 days. Once mature, they transform into immobile nymphs (chrysalises - like butterflies) and after 5 to 8 days the adults emerge, soft and yellowish at first, finally hardening and taking on their characteristic colors after a few hours.
The new adults eat aphids and lay eggs. And so the cycle begins again. They live for 2 to 3 months, but in autumn, the adults that appeared in July-August end up grouping together and seeking shelter (bark, leaf piles, cracks, sometimes houses) to spend the winter (overwintering).
Does a year with lots of ladybugs mean that there will be lots of ladybugs again the following year?
Not necessarily, as it depends on aphid numbers and climatic conditions. If aphid populations drop the following year, there will be fewer ladybugs. And if the winter is very wet, overwintering adults may die.
Is it more effective to release ladybug Adalia bipunctata larvae or adults to control aphids?
Generally speaking, it is more effective to release larvae. However, it can be useful to release adults for preventive control (when aphid attacks begin) over a large area, or for prolonged control of a crop.
For optimum effect, release both larvae for rapid, localized action and adults for dispersal and oviposition.
Can ladybugs be released before aphids appear (preventive control)?
No, because in the absence of aphids, the larvae quickly die and the adults quickly leave to find food elsewhere.