Scarce Seven-spotted Ladybird

Description:

Newly emerged ladybird beetles of the Coccinella magnifica species, spotted in a prairie near Volos city Greece. Both the adults and larvae are predators. They are known for their diet of aphids, but will eat many other pests such as soft-scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs, and the eggs of many others. More than 5000 aphids may be eaten by a single adult ladybug in its lifetime. The species is also called "myrmecophilous ladybird" because is resistant to the ant aggression (comparing to other coccinelidae species), when the beetle attacks and feeds in ant -tended aphid colonies. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023...