Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, 1850 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) : an alien ladybird new to the Croatian fauna Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, 1850 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Ćato, Sebastian (author), Kaczmarek, Michał (author), Linzbauer, Daniel (author)

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri is a small species of ladybird beetle (Coccinellidae) native to Australia. In the past century, it was introduced into several European countries as a biological control agent against agricultural pests such as different mealybug and aphid species. With some introductions failing and others succeeding, this intricate beetle has managed to naturalize in several locations and can now be found in the wild in different countries. In the absence of past records of intentional introduction of C. montrouzieri to Croatia, the country's first observation of the species occurred in 2019, possibly following dispersal from one of the surrounding countries or direct introduction via plant material. This record represents the 79th species of the Croatian ladybird fauna. All confirmed Croatian records of this species are presented, with the past and future of this interesting beetle in Europe and Croatia briefly discussed.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Adriatic, alien species, Balkan, fauna, ladybeetle, Mediterranean
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 44-48
• Numbering: Vol. 28, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-190732
• ISSN on article: 1580-0814
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.14720/ns.26034
• Publication date in RUL: 06.11.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Natura Sloveniae : revija za terensko biologijo = journal of field biology
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1580-0814
• COBISS.SI-ID: 102784768

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, 1850 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) : nova tujerodna pikapolonica na Hrvaškem

Abstract

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri je majhna vrsta pikapolonic (Coccinellidae), ki izvira iz Avstralije. V preteklem stoletju je bila naseljena v več evropskih državah za biološki nadzor kmetijskih škodljivcev, kot so različne vrste volnatih kaparjev in listnih uši. Čeprav so nekatere naselitve spodletele, druge pa so bile uspešne, se je temu hrošču ponekod uspelo naturalizirati, tako da ga je zdaj mogoče najti v različnih državah tudi v naravi. Podatkov o namernem naseljevanju C. montrouzieri na Hrvaškem v preteklosti ni, tako da je prvo opažanje te vrste v državi iz leta 2019, verjetno iz ene izmed sosednjih držav. Ta najdba pomeni 79. vrsto hrvaške favne pikapolonic. Predstavljene so vse potrjene najdbe te vrste v državi, na kratko pa je obravnavana tudi preteklost in prihodnost tega zanimivega hrošča v Evropi in na Hrvaškem.

• Keywords: Jadran, tujerodna vrsta, Balkan, favna, pikapolonica, Sredozemlje