De La Pava, N., Silva-Torres, C.S.A. da, Favaris, A.P., & Bento, J.M.S. 2025 Metabolic Costs and Camouflage Effect of Wax Production in Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and Tenuisvalvae notata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 38: 12
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Notes: It has been hypothesized that lady beetle body wax chemical profiles are like their prey as i) a mechanism of camouflage, and ii) conveying protection to the lady beetle larvae against aphid-tending predatory ants. Here, we tested this hypothesis for the predators T. notata and C. montrouzieri and two mealybug prey species, Ferissia dasyrilii, and Planococcus citri.
