Alice Springs Fauna •

The Coccinella transversalis is commonly known as the Transverse Ladybird, Small Transverse Ladybird Beetle or Transverse Ladybird Beetle. It is found throughout Australia, from urban areas, gardens, forest, heath and woodland.

Pictured here are the Alice Springs Transverse Ladybird (Coccinella transversalis), a common ladybird found in Alice Springs.

Small Transverse Ladybird Beetle (Coccinella transversalis), Alice Springs NT
Transverse Ladybird Beetle (Coccinella transversalis), Alice Springs NT

The Transverse Ladybird appears to have little variation across its wide range. It has a black head with predominantly bright red or orange elytra boldly marked with a black band down the midline and two lateral three-lobed markings. This species measures between 3.8 to 6.7 mm long and 3.3 to 5.45 mm wide

Both the larvae and adults of the Transverse Ladybird search for and feed on aphids on plants. The following is of the Transverse Ladybird Beetle (Coccinella transversalis) on the leaves of sweet potato plant in a garden in Alice Springs NT.

Following is the yellow form of the Transverse Ladybirds (Coccinella transversalis) on the leaves of sweet potato in an Alice Springs garden.

Following photos of the Transverse Ladybird (Coccinella transversalis) on a Needlewood (Hakea leucoptera) in a garden in Alice Springs, Northern Territory.

Check out our Fauna > Insects > Ladybirds (Beetles).

Transverse Ladybirds (Coccinella transversalis), Alice Springs NT
Transverse Ladybirds (Coccinella transversalis), Alice Springs NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Subclass: Pterygota
  • Order: Coleoptera
  • Suborder: Polyphaga
  • Infraorder: Cucujiformia
  • Superfamily: Coccinelloidea
  • Family: Coccinellidae
  • Subfamily: Coccinellinae
  • Tribe: Coccinellini
  • Genus: Coccinella
  • Species: Coccinella transversalis

Footnote & References

  1. Many thanks to Dianne Bickers for the ID, member of the Australia – What Bug Is This? Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/Auswhatbugisthis/
  2. Transverse Ladybird Beetle (Coccinella transversalis), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/349064-Coccinella-transversalis
  3. Transverse Ladybird, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/transverse-ladybird/
  4. Transverse Ladybird Beetle – Coccinella transversalis, Brisbane Insects and Spiders, https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_ladybirds/Transverse.htm
  5. Elytral markings, FaunaNET, Flower Chafers of New South Wales, Australian Museum, https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/aus_museum/flower_chafers/key/Cetoniinae/Media/Html/elytramarkings.htm

Alice Springs FaunaAlice Springs Native Bees Alice Springs Beetles Alice Springs Birds Alice Springs Gastropods (Gastropoda) Alice Springs Insects Alice Springs Marsupials Alice Springs Reptiles Alice Springs Spiders

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