Cold hardiness of the multicolored Asian lady beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

A classical biological control agent, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), is having both beneficial and detrimental impacts in North America. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cold hardiness of H. axyridis in North America. Supercooling points and survival at subzero temperatures of field-collected and insectary-reared H. axyridis were examined. The mean (±SE) supercooling points for eggs and pupae (i.e., nonfeeding stages) were -27.0 ± 0.18°C and -21.3 ± 0.52°C, respectively. The mean supercooling points for larvae and adults (i.e., feeding stages) were -14.17 ± 0.33 and -11.9 ± 0.53°C, respectively. Sex and color morph (i.e., red: f. succinea versus black: f. spectabilis) had no effect on the supercooling point of H. axyridis adults. Mean supercooling points of H. axyridis adults from Minnesota and Georgia were significantly lower during winter months than summer months. The mortality of H. axyridis increased significantly after individuals were exposed to temperatures below the mean supercooling point of the population. Supercooling point was a good predictor of cold hardiness. However, the cold hardiness of H. axyridis appears to be a poor predictor of its northern distribution.