Bad side of a good beetle: the North American experience with Harmonia axyridis

Abstract

The multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a generalist predator of aphids and other soft-bodied insects and has been utilized in biological control programs around the world. Over the last two decades, this species has spread throughout much of the continental USA and southern Canada. Despite the benefits it offers as a biological control agent, H. axyridis is perhaps most well known for its adverse impacts. In this paper we provide a review of the North American experience with H. axyridis, focusing on these adverse impacts, which can be classified into three general categories: impacts on non-target arthropods, impacts on fruit production and impacts as a household invader. The impacts of H. axyridis on non-target arthropods and, to lesser extent, the impacts as a household invader possibly could have been anticipated, due to its generalist feeding preferences and overwintering behavior in Asia. However, it is unlikely that the impacts on fruit production could have been anticipated. Therefore, even in retrospect, it is difficult to predict the potential impacts that an introduced natural enemy might have in its adventive range.

Comparative demography of the exotic Harmonia axyridis with other aphidophagous coccinellids reared on artificial diet

“…Despite the benefits it offers as a biological control agent, H. axyridis is perhaps better know for its adverse impacts. Koch & Galvan (2008) reviewed the North American experience with H. axyridis, focusing on these adverse impacts, which have been arranged into three general categories: on non-target arthropods, on fruit production, and impacts as a household invader.…”

“…For this reason, H. axyridis has been the subject of extensive research in Europe and North America (Koch, 2003;Lanzoni et al, 2004;Koch et al, 2006;Koch & Galvan, 2008). However, Brazil lacks studies on the interaction of H. axyridis with local fauna, including the guild of predatory insects.…”

Aphid Biodiversity under Environmental Change

“…Many further releases were made, but the species failed to establish until the 1980s, when it was found in southeastern Louisiana (Chapin and Brou 1991). It is now widespread across the USA and has spread into Canada (Koch and Galvan 2008). Intentional introductions of H. axyridis were made across Europe (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland) beginning in the early 1980s and the species is now considered established in all these countries, with the exception of Portugal and Spain (Brown et al 2008 (Brown et al 2008).…”

Hybrid feature extractor for harlequin ladybird identification using color images

“…When they are disturbed, they emit a foul secretion to deter predators, causing domestic and health issues like stained fabrics and skin irritations. The beetle has now spread to most parts of England and requires considerable attention due to its impact on ecological and biological balance through resource competition and intra guild predation [8]. To make things worse, there has been a general decline in the taxonomic workforce which in effect has been part of the taxonomic impediment to biodiversity studies [9], [10].…”