A Walk with The Zigzag Ladybird Beetles of Zabeel Park, Dubai

A Zigzag Ladybird Beetle up close

A ladybird beetle immersed in yellow blossoms

Showing of her posterior markings

Off the ladybird goes in search for food

Morning walks and runs around the Zabeel Park, Dubai is truly an awesome time. As the cool morning breeze was blowing, I was fascinated to see lovely ladies immersed in yellow blossom, oops.. I mean lovely ladybird beetles immersed in yellow blossoms. Looking upon the distinct 6 darkened markings on its elytra, I have encountered the Six Spotted Zigzag Ladybird Beetles. 

The Six Spotted Zigzag Lady Bird Beetle, Cheilomenes sexmaculata 

(COLEPTERA: COCCINELIDAE)

The Six Spotted Zigzag Ladybird beetles is a well known and wide spread species of ladybird beetle (coccinellids). These beetles are 3-4mm long, yellow to canary yellow in color with 6 distinct dark markings on its elytra.  

DISTRIBUTION OF Six Spotted Zigzag Lady Bird Beetles

These ladybirds are reported to be present in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, particularly in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Philippines and Japan. They are present in the Middle East Region and also reported in France, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. 

BIODYNAMICS NOTES

These ladybirds are voracious predator! They are known  as relentless hunters in the insect world!

They hunt and feed upon whiteflies, aphids, scale insects and diaspids, 

There food insects are mainly agricultural insect pests, which makes these ladybirds important biological control agents!

By the way you might have encountered the term "ladybug." The ladybugs are not true bugs (from the insect order Hemiptera) but they belong to the coccinellid family of beetles (Coleoptera)

These beetles DO NOT feed and damage plants and crops. They DO NOT bite and attack humans. 

As stated, these ladybird beetles act as BIOLOGICAL CONTROL agents against insect pests of crops. If possible, DO NOT spray the plants or locations where you see these little insect hunters. Let these ladies continue on their voracious hunting spree!

Ladybird beetles maybe small but they have the tenacity of any large size predator whenever they are roaming their plants landscape. 

Awesome Creature! AWESOME CREATOR!

Thanks for your support and careful attention. 

If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com 

A Longhorn Date Palm Beetle Encounter at the Zabeel Park, Dubai

A longhorn beetle resting on a pod

The longhorn staying motion-less on its legume pod hideout 

Details of its long antennae and dark brown sclerotized covering

Locate the longhorn beetle in the vegetation

It was a windy weekend morning and as I was strolling around the walk-way around the Zabeel Park,  Dubai, I stumbled upon a large, dark brown beetle clinging on the pod of the landscape plant. This was my first time to see a live longhorned or longicorn beetle in the UAE and upon my research about it, I get to know that what I encountered was the date palm pest, Longhorn Date Palm Beetle or Borer, Jebusaea hammerschmidti.  

LONGHORN DATE PALM BEETLE, Jebusaea hammerschmidti 

(COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE)  

Beetles from the family CERAMBYCIDAE are characterized by their extremely long antennae which can be longer or have the same length as its body. 

The Longhorn Date Palm Beetle or Longhorn Date Palm Borer is a well-known member of the longhorn beetles family as it is listed as an important pest of date palms (Pheonix dactylifera). 

The adult beetles are dark brown color, with females 30-45mm long and the males 21-31mm.

The larvae are creamy white, legless, the first 2 thoracic segments of the body are broader than the rest, the body tapers up to its posterior end. 

DISTRIBUTION of the LONGHORN DATE PALM BORER

This longicorn is reported to be an important pest of date palms in the Middle East, North Africa and India. 

BIODYNAMIC NOTES

The eggs are laid on the fronds of the date palm, wherein they dig into green frond base for months and they they bore their way into the trunk. They spend their whole larval and pupal development stage inside the trunk. 

It prefers to infest old, neglected date palms but it can also attack young and healthy trees. 

The attack of the longhorn date palm borer greatly affects the date palm lifespan, its yield and the quality of the palm wood. 

For the control of these longhorn beetles in Date Palms follow label recommendations of approved and registered Agricultural Pesticides.

I have always keen a fascination for beetles, especially the longicorns. Their relatively large size, the thick sclerotized body armor and the long pair of antennae are truly awesome to observe and document. 

I hope to get more awesome beetle encounters.

I know these longhorn beetles are agricultural pest, but despite their potential threat to date palms,  they still look so awesome!

Awesome creature! Awesome CREATOR!

Thanks for your support and careful attention. 

If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com 

A Robber Fly Encounter at the Desert Area Adjacent Dubai Academic City

Female Robber flies are ferocious hunters

This is my 3rd live encounter with Robber flies in the desert

I was searching for desert dwelling beetles during my early morning hike, when a large fly buzzed passed me and then landed on the sand. Its large and piercing blue-green eyes immediately got my attention. It was a female Robber fly setting up herself for another flight prowl in search for prey. This will be my 3rd encounter with the ASILIDAE here in the UAE. I had two sightings on  the trails in Maleha, Sharjah and this will be my first in Dubai. 

By the way ROBBER FLIES are also known as ASSASSIN FLIES! 

FOR MORE INFO on Robber flies check out my Feb 17, 2022 and July 03, 2021 articles.  

Awesome creatures! Awesome CREATOR!

Thanks for your support and careful attention. 

If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com