Native and exotic ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae) from the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a well-known biodiversity hotspot characterized by a high level of endemism. A long history of exploration documented over 50 species of coccinellids, including 12 endemic to the archipelago. A similar number of ladybirds arrived at the archipelago as a result of introductions. Recent surveys (2016-2023) provided new data on species richness of Coccinellidae from the Canaries. Three Australian species: Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, Rhyzobius lophanthae, and Rodolia cardinalis are present on all islands of the archipelago. Alien species of American origin are represented in the Canarian fauna by Delphastus catalinae and Olla v-nigrum, the latter species probably arrived at the Canary Islands very recently. Established populations of Pharoscymnus flexibilis, a species of Asiatic origin, were recorded from 2016 on the two easternmost islands, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, while Afrotropical Cheilomenes propinqua has been established on Gran Canaria. The recent surveys indicate that that Harmonia axyridis, the “most invasive insect”, has been established on Tenerife and was recorded from Gran Canaria as well. The percentage contribution of the non-native species to the fauna of Coccinellidae from the Canary Archipelago (app. 15%) is higher than that reported for the mainland areas in SW Europe (app 7%), as predicted by the island susceptibility hypothesis. Initial analysis indicates that exotic coccinellids occur mostly in transformed habitats of the Canary Islands and are filtered from unique native Canarian habitats: deserts, shrublands, Laurisilva, and pine forests. The potential threat of invasive ladybird species to the unique communities of the native Canarian arthropods requires further studies.