A Preliminary Study on the Ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of Edirne in north-western Turkey

Authors: SELÇUK YURTSEVER

Abstract: Preliminary investigations were carried out to determine the ladybird species of Turkish Trakya. Population samples for the study were obtained from several sites in different habitats near Edirne province. A total of twelve different ladybird species were determined. Of these, the 7-spot ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata, was the commonest species. The density of the 22-spot ladybird, Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata, was higher than that of the other ladybirds in almost all habitats surveyed. Frequencies of the black and yellow forms of the 14-spot ladybird, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata, in the area showed a tendency to be associated with open and shaded habitats respectively. Moreover, the body size of the black forms of this species tended to be smaller than that of the yellow forms.

Keywords: Coleoptera, Coccinellidae, ladybirds, thermal selection, Turkish Thrace, Edirne

Full Text: PDF