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Convergent and scymnus lady beetles are two common
species in sorghum. Adult ladybird beetles are hemispherical in shape. Depending on the
species, lady beetles vary in length from 1.5 to 6.0 mm, may be orange, red, tan, brown,
gray, or black and spotted or marked with contrasting colors of red, yellow, black, or
white. Ladybird beetles sometimes are confused with leaf beetles. Larval ladybird beetles
are elongated and tapered posteriorly. Their bodies are dark with bright markings and
covered with spines. Larvae of scymnus lady beetles are covered with long streamers of
white wax. Ladybird beetles hibernate as adults, often in
large numbers, in protected and dry places. Females lay clusters of 200 to 1 000 yellow
eggs that hatch in three to four days. Scymnus lady beetles lay eggs singly. Larvae feed
for two to three weeks. Adults and larvae prey primarily on aphids but also feed on spider
mites, insect eggs, and small larvae of sorghum insect pests. |
