Henosepilachna argus

The ladybird of the bryone , known as “ ladybird of the melon ” in the south of France, bears the scientific name of Henosepilachana (Epilachna) argus . It was described by the French pharmacist Etienne Louis Geoffroy in 1762.
Elle lives only on the cucurbitaceous ones. It consumes the juice of Bryone, which is highly toxic for many species, of which the Man.

Description

It is a ladybird from 6 to 8 mm length (even size which the ladybird at 7 points). It is furnished with 11 points.
Elle is red with red leg, at 11 black spots in the north of Europe where she eats Bryone, but she is orange at 11 points black, with legs oranges, in the south where she saw on the melon S. She could be confused with other species if she were not the only ladybird whose élytre S are furnished with very fine hairs, close-cropped and dense. They are invisible without magnifying glass or microscope, but they give a matt appearance to fluffy with this ladybird, whereas all the others of this size have smooth and brilliant élytres. (In Europe of western north, only of very small ladybirds are also hairy).

It leaves characteristic traces when it consumed sheets of bryones.

Habitat

One can theoretically find it on melons. In the sleeve, only one observation announces it on gherkin. If not it theoretically potentially is found where the bryone is present or in the vicinity (of which on the Ortie S), in the hedges, herbaceous waste lands, forest clearings and sometimes in the dunes. The bryonne often pushes on the low part of the bushes, but can climb border them up to 4 m in height and more.

Distribution

It is still badly known, but it is the subject of inventories in progress (by GEDEAM in the north of France, in 2007). In its red version, at the beginning of 2007, one knows it at least in the Manche, where it seems essentiellent littoral, but Belgian entomologists identified it in the East of Belgium (the Walloon Brabant and Province of Liege).

Cycle activity

This ladybird appears at the beginning of spring and disappears at the end of the summer, this cycle seeming related to that of its plant host; the bryone.

to see too

Ladybird

External bonds

of the larva on gimlet of bryone

Random links: