Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Novius cardinalis (Mulsant, 1850)

Mariquita, Cardinal ladybird, Vedalia beetle

Late instar larva of Novius cardinalis on Waltheria ovata infested with Icerya purchasi on Genovesa Island. Photo: C. Causton, CDF.
Late instar larva of Novius cardinalis on Waltheria ovata infested with Icerya purchasi on Genovesa Island. Photo: C. Causton, CDF.

The cardinal ladybird is a small, predatory, red and black beetle. Like other species of ladybeetles, the cardinal ladybird has a very round, almost spherical dorsal side while the ventral side is nearly flat. Males and females have slightly different coloration, with females more red in color and males more black in color. Elytra are covered in small gray hairs which partially obscure the red and black coloration.

Predator on Icerya purchasi, reared in quarantine at CDRS and released in 2002 to control I. purchasi.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Coleoptera

Suborder
Polyphaga

Superfamily
Cucujoidea

Family
Coccinellidae

Section
Noviini

Genus
Novius

Species
cardinalis

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Rodolia cardinalis (Mulsant, 1850); Sym.: Rodolia cardinalis (Hong P. et al., 2020).

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 2002

Year of introduction: 2002

Mode of introduction: Intentional

Introduction Pathway: Intentional

Subpathway: Biocontrol

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Unlikely to become invasive

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Floreana, Isabela, Marchena, Pinta, Rábida, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Santiago, Baltra, Fernandina, Pinzon, Genovesa, Champion. Originally from Australia.

References

  • Peck, S.B. (2006) The Beetles of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity (Insecta: Coleoptera) NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 314 pp.
  • Lincango, M.P. Causton, C.E., Calderón-Álvarez, C. & Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. (2011) Evaluating the safety of Rodolia cardinalis to two species of Galapagos finch: Camarhynchus parvulus and Geospiza fuliginosa. Biological control 56: 145-149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2010.10.006
  • Causton, C.E. Lincango, M.P. & Poulsom, T.G.A. (2004) Feeding Range Studies of Rodolia cardinalis (Mulsant), a Candidate Biological Control Agent of Icerya purchasi Maskell in the Galápagos Islands. Biological Control 29: 315-325.
  • Causton, C.E. (2001) Dossier on Rodolia cardinalis Mulsant (Coccinellidae: Cocinellinae), a potential biological control agent for the cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi Maskell (Margarodidae). Charles Darwin Foundation, Galàpagos.
  • Hong Pang Xue-Fei Tang (2020) REVISION OF THE AUSTRALIAN COCCINELLIDAE (COLEOPTERA). GENUS NOVIUS MULSANT OF TRIBE NOVIINI PL ISSN 0003-4541 © Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS doi: 10.3161/00034541ANZ2020.70.1.001 ANNALES ZOOLOGICI (Warszawa), 2020, 70(1): 1-24
  • Peñaherrera-Romero, E. Guerrero-Campoverde, A., Rueda-Rodríguez, M.P., Dávila-Játiva, M., Die-Morejón, D., Domínguez-Trujillo, M., Guerrero-Molina, T.,Vélez-Darquea, E., Cisneros-Heredia, D.F (2024) Ladybird Beetle Diversity in Natural and Human-Modified Habitats in the San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador. Insects, 15, 725. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15090725

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This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Novius cardinalis", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=19226. Accessed 23 May 2025.