Collops Beetles – Collops spp.

Collops Beetles

 

Genus: Collops (Family: Melyridae) 

Common Name: Collops Beetles, Red Cross Beetle

Appearance: This genus almost has 38 species under it. Collops beetles are soft-bodied insects almost 6 mm long. Many species have a red cross mark on their wing cover; therefore, they are also called red cross beetles and can be easily recognized. There are four bluish-black spots on the elytra around the cross and two on the pronotum attached to each other with a common line.

Host Plants or Food: Aphids, Caterpillars, Mites, Leafhoppers, Whiteflies (Eggs, Nymphs, and Adults). Adults also feed on pollens of flowers.

Territory: Southwest US (Arizona)

Mode of Damage: Beneficial Garden Insect

Habits and Life History:

Like other beetles, they also prey upon the insects, which are the pests of our plants, so they are beneficial insects for us.

They are found in grasslands, gardens, fields, and where there is food for them, whether in the form of pollens or insects.

They are mostly active in spring; summer reduces their reproduction rates.

Their larvae are also predaceous and live under the soil litter, and rarely come out.