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9 September 2020 A Method for Sexing the Sulphurous Lady Beetle, Cheilomenes sulphurea (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Annika Salzberg
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Abstract

Determining the sex of adult coccinellids can be difficult, as no single external trait exists across the clade to differentiate males and females. Many species can only be sexed based on dissection or behavioral observation, but even the latter can be inaccurate, as same-sex mounting has been observed. Cheilomenes sulphurea (Olivier) is an economically important natural enemy of crop pests in Sub-Saharan Africa, but no trait has been conclusively shown to easily identify their sex in the field. It is crucial for studies involving live beetles that researchers are able to visually separate males and females without killing or overhandling the animals. This paper describes a pronotal pattern that can be used for rapid and easy identification of C. sulphurea males and females.

Annika Salzberg "A Method for Sexing the Sulphurous Lady Beetle, Cheilomenes sulphurea (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)," The Coleopterists Bulletin 74(3), 581-584, (9 September 2020). https://doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X-74.3.581
Received: 19 January 2020; Accepted: 9 July 2020; Published: 9 September 2020
KEYWORDS
morphology
pronotal pattern
sexual dimorphism
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