Eyed Ladybird Beetle (lat. Anatis ocellata)

Eyed Ladybird Beetle
Eyed Ladybird Beetle

Distribution

The species is found from continental Europe, in transcontinental Russia, in central Asia, in Mongolia, in northern China, in Western Canada and to the Korean peninsula and also Turkey.

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Eyed Ladybird Beetle

Biology

The primary habitat is temperate coniferous forest including Central European mixed forests and Sarmatic mixed forests, Scandinavian montane birch forest. Most frequently on pines but also on Picea abies and other Picea species, Betula pendula and other Betula species, and Populus tremula. Adults are entomophagous, mainly feeding on aphids on coniferous trees The species feeds on aphids such as Eucallipterus tiliae, Tuberculatus annulatus, Euceraphis betulae, Cavariella konoi, Acyrthosiphon ignotum, A. pisum, and Macrosiphoniella artemisiae.

They prefer pine aphids (family Adelgidae), and are attracted to the scent of pine. The defensive alkaloid compound 2-dehydrococcinelline has been isolated and identified from this species. The adults and larvae also feed on leaf hopper larvae on P. tremula. The adults overwinter.

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Eyed Ladybird Beetle

References

Media related to Anatis ocellata at Wikimedia Commons

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This is not intended to be a dry lexicon. Personal stories and sensitive articles form the framework for our pictures: „Outside the shoe shop“ Who spends more money on shoes? A wasp or a spider? When both stop in front of a shoe store, they soon discuss their differences and similarities.

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Outside the shoe shop