Coccinella

{{short description|Genus of beetles}}

{{Automatic_taxobox

| image = Coccinella transversalis 2.jpg

| image_caption = Coccinella transversalis

| taxon = Coccinella

| authority = Linnaeus, 1758{{cite web|url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=114346|title=ITIS standard report - Coccinella (Linnaeus, 1758)|publisher=Integrated Taxonomic Information System|accessdate=19 July 2014}}

| type_species = Coccinella septempunctata

| type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758

}}

Coccinella is the most familiar genus of ladybird (or, in North America, ladybug). The elytra of most species are of a red or orange colour, punctuated with black spots or bands. The genus occurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but has only 11 species native to North America, with far more in Eurasia.

Its name comes from Latin coccineus, referring to the color scarlet.

Adults and larvae are voracious predators of aphids, and some species (e.g. C. septempunctata) are used as biological control agents.

Coccinella

According to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, 94 individual species of Coccinella are listed in the genus.{{cite web|url=https://www.gbif.org/species/1043502|title=Coccinella Linnaeus, 1758|publisher=Global Biodiversity Information Facility|accessdate=16 August 2023}}

Numerous other species, including C. ainu, C. alta, C. difficilis, C. fulgida or C. hasegawai currently have no individual entries here.

References

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