The Genus Harmonia (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) in the Middle East Region

Abstract

The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773), is native to Asia buthas been introduced to many countries, both intentionally and unintentionally. In the MiddleEast region, H. axyridis was so far only known from Iran and Turkey. This study reports H.axyridis for the fi rst time from a country with a hot desert climate, Saudi Arabia. The singlespecimen that was found is most likely the result of unintentional release. Successful spreadingof H. axyridis in Saudi Arabia will be limited because of high temperatures during summerand scarcity of prey (aphids). New records from Iran and Turkey suggest fast spreading ofH. axyridis in these parts of the Middle East. In addition, we also present new records fromIran and Turkey for H. quadripunctata (Pontoppidan, 1763), the other species in the genusthat occurs in the Middle East region. A key and illustrations are provided for both species.