Twenty Eight Spot Ladybird

Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fabricius, 1775)
28 Spot Ladybird
(previously known as Epilachna vigintioctopunctata)
COCCINELLIDAE, COLEOPTERA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
and
Stella Crossley

(Photo: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

These little beasties start life as one of a cluster of tall pointed yellow eggs, each about two millimetres high and one millimetre across. Typically, they are laid on the underside of a leaf of a foodplant.

(Photo: copyright Lyn Finn,
Hunter Region School of Photography in Newcastle,
Macquarie Hills, New South Wales)

The larvae are not true Caterpillars, but are the larvae of a ladybird beetle. The larvae are round and yellow with sparse stiff dark hairs. They feed on various members of the plant family SOLANACEAE, being agricultural pests on:

Potato ( Solanum tuberosum ),

Tomatoes ( Lycopersicum esculentum ), and

Eggplant ( Solanum melongena ).

A wild population is maintained on weeds such as:

Black Nightshade ( Solanum nigrum ).

They also attack crops from the family CUCURBITACEAE, such as:

Zuccini, Marrow, and Squash ( Cucurbita pepo ).

(Photo: copyright Lyn Finn,
Hunter Region School of Photography in Newcastle,
Macquarie Hills, New South Wales)

The larvae grow to a length of about 8 mms. They pupate on the underside of a leaf.

(Photo: copyright Lyn Finn,
Hunter Region School of Photography in Newcastle,
Macquarie Hills, New South Wales)

The adult is round and yellow with 28 black spots, and has a length of about 8 mms.

It is also a pest in:

Indonesia,

Japan, and

Taiwan, as well as

the northern half of Australia.

(Photo: copyright Lyn Finn,
Hunter Region School of Photography in Newcastle,
Macquarie Hills, New South Wales)