These ladybirds belong to the order of Coleopthora and family of Coccinellidae.

An adult Adalia lays 20 to 50 eggs a day. The eggs are elongated and have a yellowish, orange-like colour. The time before hatching depends on the climate, but normally takes 4 to 8 days. After hatching, the larvae will seek aphids immediately.

The chances of survival of these young larvae strongly depend upon the ready availability of food when the larvae start to crawl. The development time is about 20 days at a temperature of about 20°C.

Once in the fourth larval stage, the larva stops eating and pupates. During pupation, which takes 8 days at a temperature of 20°C, the ladybird stops eating for a few days and stays inactive. Attention! It is not dead!

Finally, the adult beetles appear by tearing the pupal skin. During September and October they will look for a hibernation place. Adalia bipunctata prefers outside walls, window frames or bark crevices.

Adalia is a native ladybird which can be found in nature in Europe. It finds its way in a pretty extensive range of biotopes and feeds on different species of aphid. It appreciates a sunny climate and relatively dry living conditions with a short, non-overgrown vegetation.

Therefore, Adalia is a regular visitor of vegetable gardens, fields and flowerbeds. Adalia can be used in several protected cultures and open field cultures in gardens (roses, small shrubs, annuals) vegetable gardens and vineyards.

Adalia bipunctata is delivered in the larval stage and is available in 2 packagings for the professional market:

• 100 larvae
• 250 larvae

The composition of the carrier consists of vermiculite and bran.

	Introduce the larvae in the center of aphid hotspots before these get too big;
	Introduce the larvae immediately after arrival. They can be stored in the refrigerator max. 1 to 2 days at 8 to 10°C;
	Hang out bioboxes in aphid hotspots and divide the larvae homogenically in these bioboxes;
	The amount of larvae needed depends on the size of the infection and the development/growth of the culture. Check and reintroduce every week, if necessary. Introduce for example 3 to 5 larvae at the foot of the rose bush in the beginning of the infestation, at an early introduction 10 larvae on young trees in fruit culture.

At this moment, several trials are being done to test the side effects of the most important pesticides on Adalia bipunctata. According to the literature and our practical experience, it seems that Adalia bipunctata is efficient and resistant enough as predator.

The battle for control of aphids using ladybirds does not work without the elimination of ants (by using glue barriers) which, when they are present, will reduce the efficiency of ladybird larvae.

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