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