Diomus notescens (Blackburn)

Nattier, Romain, Jourdan, Hervé, Mille, Christian & Chazeau, Jean, 2015, An annotated checklist of the Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) from New Caledonia, Zootaxa 4058 (3), pp. 301-331 : 313

Diomus notescens (Blackburn)

Scymnus notescens Blackburn, 1888: 196 . Diomus rusticus Weise, 1895: 145 .

Diomus notescens: Weise 1908: 13 .

This is the most widespread Diomus in Australia, where it has been reared on coccids from the genus Eriococcus ( Slipinski 2007) . In the last 30 years, it has been caught regularly on New Caledonian west coast (Port-Laguerre, Païta County) and the Central Range (Mt Kaala) (Chazeau, pers. obs.). This ladybug is also recorded from New Zealand and has been deliberately introduced to Hawaii ( Leeper 1975). This species appears as a recent migrant (natural spread or accidental introduction) in New Caledonia (Chazeau, pers. obs.). No biological data are available, except feeding habit on pseudococcids and aphids.

Material examined. NEW CALEDONIA: Boulouparis, Mont Do, 21°45'26.75''S / 165°59'58.68’’E / 920m, 22.xi.2007 (S. Cazères rec.) ( CXMNC); Pouembout chez M. Soury-Lavergne, COL /ins/255-14, 01.viii.2014 (C. Mille rec.) ( CXMNC); Boulouparis, Mont Do, 21.75394°S / 161.99994°E / 1029m, 06.x.2004 (S. Cazères & C. Mille rec.) ( CXMNC); La Foa, Nili, 21.70408°S / 165.81785°E / 34m, 21.xi.2010 (C. Mille rec.) ( CXMNC).