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Fungus-eating ladybird larva & adult
Illeis galbula
-37.9, 145.312
Field Notes
Description:
A small segmented larva about 3 cm long. Most of the body was white with black patches. The prothorax and a few terminal abdominal segments were yellow. The three pairs of thoracic legs were clearly visible. This is perhaps close to pupation. This larva had obviously hatched from an egg laid by one of the many beetles spotted on a squash plant which had several leaves covered with mildew.
The adult beetles have a striking black and yellow pattern and are about 4 cms long.
Habitat:
Spotted on a herb plant near a squash plant with mouldy leaves-suburban garden.
Notes:
The larvae and beetles feed on powdery mildew fungus. Their mouthparts are said to be specially modified to scrape mildew off the leaves. It is not known how they find their food source-probably by smell. <br> I have never seen these beetles in the garden before but they arrived just a few days after the squash leaves started showing signs of mildew. <br>
Family: Coccinellidae
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