Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

1 Mealybug ladybird at Higgins Woodland

Request use of media

Identification history

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri	7 Mar 2024	AlisonMilton
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri	7 Mar 2024	MichaelBedingfield
Unverified	6 Mar 2024	MichaelWenke

Identify this sighting

Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.

1 comment

DiBickers wrote:

26 Apr 2025

I’ve setup a separate taxon (to be classified) for these ones. Without being too long-winded, there are many Coccinellidae larvae (across several Subfamilies) which have these long waxy filaments, however, because they have not been raised from larva to the adult beetle they cannot be identified accurately.
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri has become a familiar taxon where many larvae are often misidentified for this reason.
These larvae are distinctly different to Cryptolaemus montrouzieri as the lateral waxy filaments are much longer and they also have an obvious “naked” back.
There has now been a larva successfully raised to adulthood which has the Entomologists excited as they were finally able to link that particular specimen to Telsimia (Genus).
Given that it is known these waxy larvae are across multiple Subfamilies I will group them together under “Coccinellidae CNM 01 (Unidentified Waxy Larvae)” until further information comes to light😊

Please Login or Register to comment.

Location information

Sighting information

At least 1 Abundance
6 Mar 2024 04:34 PM Recorded on
MichaelWenke Recorded by
Collections
MichaelWenke NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Lady beetles (Coccinellidae) Beetles (Coleoptera) Insects

Additional information

Less than 5mm Animal size

Species information

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Scientific name
Mealybug ladybird Common name
Not Sensitive
Local native
Non-invasive or negligible
Up to 794m Recorded at altitude
Machine learning
External link More information

Record quality

Images or audio
More than one media file
Verified by an expert moderator
Nearby sighting(s) of same species
GPS evidence of location
Description
Additional attributes

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Queensland

Northern Territory

Western Australia

South Australia

Victoria

Tasmania