Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Coccinelloidea
Family: Coccinellidae
Subfamily: Microweiseinae
Tribe: Serangiini
Genus: Serangium
Species: S. maculigerum
Binominal name: Serangium maculigerum
Synonyms: Serangium maculigerum, Serangium bicolor
Serangium maculigerium is a small ladybird native to Australia. It has a length of 1.5-1.8 mm and is pitch black dorsally with the typical form having an ill-defined orange to orange-red spot on each elytron. This spot is not often clearly visible; sometimes the spot is entirely absent. All mobile life stages of Serangium maculigerum are predators feeding on eggs, larvae and adults of its prey. It is able to fly and will actively seek out whitefly infestations when the density of locally available prey is low.
Serangium maculigerium has been introduced to several countries as an effective biological control agent of the tomato/potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli), greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum), citrus whitefly (Aleurocanthus spiniferus), rose whitefly (Aleurothrixus floccosus), scale insects of the genus Ceroplastes and the brown citrus rust mite (Tegolophus australis) and other whiteflies. Serangium maculigerium is now widely established in the north of New Zealand.
The larva of Serangium maculigerum
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
