Novius cardinalis (Mulsant)

(Figs 9, 10)

Vedalia cardinalis Mulsant, 1850: 906.

Novius cardinalis: Crotch 1874: 283.- Pang et al. 2020: 18.

Eurodolia cardinalis: Weise 1895: 150.

Rodolia (Macronovius) cardinalis: Weise 1905: 220.

Macronovius cardinalis: Weise 1922: 104.

Rodolia cardinalis: Korschefsky 1931: 99.

Rodolia aegyptiaca Sicard, 1907: 67.- Korschefsky 1931: 99.

Diagnosis. Length: 2.90–4.00 mm; width: 2.60–3.10 mm. Form (Figs 9a, 10e, f) broadly oval, slightly narrowed towards apex. Ground colour blood red, with black markings as follows: a broad basal marking on posterior margin of pronotum; scutellar shield black; elytra with a pair of lunar markings partially enclosing humeral callus, a sutural stripe strongly widened at basal third and weakly so at apical third; a marginal stripe starting at middle and apically joining sutural stripe; a pair of transverse, post-median spots, outer spot broadly joined with marginal stripe and narrowly with inner spot. Elytral spots sometimes fused/obsolete. Ventral side reddish testaceous, except meso- and metaventrites, and middle of first four abdominal ventrites black; legs dark, except tibiae and tarsi reddish. Male genitalia (Fig. 9b–d) and female genitalia (Fig. 9e) as illustrated.

Immature stages. As illustrated in Fig. 10a–d.

Material examined. INDIA: Karnataka: Bangalore, on casuarina, 6 ex. (NBAIR).

Distribution. India (Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu); Europe; North Africa; Asia; Afrotropical Region; Australian Region; Nearctic Region; Neotropical Region; Oriental Region.

It was first introduced in the Indian subcontinent in Sri Lanka (Hutson 1920). It was later introduced in Nilgiris, South India, in 1929 from California and South Africa and in 1930 from Egypt, to control I. purchasi on cultivated wattle, Acacia decurrens and other Acacia spp. (Rao & Cherian 1944). In subsequent years, when the pest flared up again, successful releases were also made in Upper Palni Hills, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra, giving effective control (Subramaniam 1955, Rao & Kamath 1966). Specimens collected after the 1960s are almost absent in institutional collections, probably due to competitive displacement by native species of Novius such as N. amabilis and N. fumidus (Subramaniam 1955). However, in the last decade, few specimens have been collected and it appears to be confined to the cooler climes of southern India.

Prey/associated habitat. Icerya aegyptiaca (Douglas), Icerya purchasi Maskell, Icerya montserratensis Riley & Howard, Icerya seychellarum (Westwood), and Icerya spp. (Monophlebidae); Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Pseudococcidae). All stages are commonly collected on casuarina (Channabasavanna & Puttarudriah 1957), and Acalypha sp.

Seasonal occurrence. Collected during January and August (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu).

Natural enemies. Homalotylus flaminius (Dalman), H. eytelweinii (Ratzeburg).

Notes. This is perhaps the most famous and well-known ladybird in the world, and is popularly known as the Vedalia beetle, after the original genus with which it was combined. Its introduction in California citrus orchards by Albert Koebele in 1889 to control the cottony cushion scale was a spectacular success and is widely regarded as the starting point of modern classical biological control. It is one of the few insects to have a popular monument in its name. A plaque and a bench were dedicated to the Vedalia beetle in the Palmer Gardens, North Adelaide, Australia, in 1994 to commemorate the source of beetles used in 1888 to control the fluted scale in California citrus orchards (Londt 1997).

Descriptive accounts with illustrations were given by Chapin (1965), Gordon (1985), Booth et al. (1990) and Pang et al. (2020). Rao & Cherian (1944) provided accounts of its first introduction in peninsular India. Subramaniam (1955) and Rao & Kamath (1966) also gave details of further introductions with biological notes. Doutt (1958) gave a colourful account of its introduction into California, USA, and the people behind it. Caltagirone & Doutt (1989) reviewed the history of Vedalia importation and its impact on the development of biological control in general.