Novius cardinalis
| Novius cardinalis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Coccinellidae |
| Subfamily: | Ortaliinae |
| Tribe: | Noviini |
| Genus: | Novius |
| Species: | N. cardinalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Novius cardinalis (Mulsant, 1850) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Novius cardinalis (common names vedalia beetle or cardinal ladybird) is a species of ladybird beetle native to Australia. It was formerly placed in the genus Vedalia, then renamed to Rodolia, but that genus was synonymized under the genus Novius in 2020. The "vedalia beetle" came to public attention as an effective biological control agent against cottony cushion scale, a serious pest of citrus plantations.