LadybirdBase: A comprehensive biology, ecology, and omics resource for ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae)

Ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) comprise over 6000 species and have been extensively studied in terms of their biology, ecology, omics, and applications in biological control. However, this knowledge is scattered across diverse publications and databases, limiting accessibility and integration. To address this gap, we developed LadybirdBase (http://www.ladybirdbase.com), a comprehensive database that compiles primarily published resources on 6872 ladybird species. It integrates five modules: Biology (taxonomy and species traits), Ecology (diet ranges and geographic distributions), Genomics (genomes, transcriptomes, and related datasets), Microbiomics (microbial amplicon and metagenome sequencing), and Lab Test (laboratory-derived biological parameters). LadybirdBase also provides analytical tools for species identification via morphology or DNA barcodes, gene and primer searches, and transcriptome-based differential expression analysis. Using Cryptolaemus montrouzieri-a representative biological control ladybird-as an example, we show that by centralizing ecological, laboratory, and multi-omics data, LadybirdBase supports efficacy evaluation, rearing and release optimization, and risk assessment, thereby advancing research and applications in evolutionary biology, ecology, and sustainable pest management.