Novius cardinalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Novius cardinalis (common names vedalia beetle or cardinal ladybird) is a species of ladybird beetle native to Australia. It was formerly placed in the genus Vedalia then renamed to Rodolia, but that genus was synonymized under the genus Novius in 2020. The "vedalia beetle" came to public attention as an effective biological control agent against cottony cushion scale, a serious pest of citrus plantations.
The adult has a domed oval body, flattened underneath, 2.5–4 millimetres (0.10–0.16 in) long, covered with dense, short hairs. Its coloration is an irregular and variable pattern of red and black, sometimes with more red, sometimes with more black. The head, the back of the prothorax, and the scutellum are all black.
The species feeds exclusively on the cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi, which feeds on trees including acacia, citrus, magnolia, olive, and rose. The beetle's young larvae eat the scale insect's eggs; older larvae and adults eat all lifecycle stages of the scale insect.
The red eggs are laid underneath the protective scale of scale insects or directly on their egg sacs, with each female producing between 150 and 190 eggs. First... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Athens | 🇬🇷 Greece | |
| 3 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 6 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 10 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Vedalia Beetle sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 305th most-seen of the 693 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Vedalia Beetle in San Diego on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
12th of 15
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Vedalia Beetle sightings, San Diego ranks 12th at under 5%. The best odds are in Valencia (Spain, about 10%), Athens (Greece, about 10%) and Cape Town (South Africa, under 5%).
Same family: Coccinellidae
The closest relatives of the Vedalia Beetle that you can see in San Diego (family Coccinellidae, Lady Beetles) are Asian Lady Beetle (about 10%), Spotless Lady Beetle (about 10%) and Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Vedalia Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in San Diego (20 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
