common spotted ladybird

Description:

An orangy-yellow lady bird with about 20 black spots on the elytra and thorax. It was quite busy on a gum tree branch which was covered with white soft fluffy substance. The leaves also showed sooty mold - irregular black sooty spots.

Habitat:

Eucalyptus trees

Notes:

The white soft substance could be honey dew produced by sap sucking insects. These insects are predated upon by spiders and small insects like ladybirds. The honeydew encourages growth of sooty mold which often damages trees by defoliation. The fluffy white substance could be easily dislodged. It was good to see a possible "story" on the one tree.... http://buginfo.com/article.cfm?id=64