A Preliminary Report on the Use of Bench-Top X-Ray Micro-Computerised Tomography to Study theMalpighian Tubules of the Overwintering Seven Spotted Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

The application of micro-CT scanning techniques on a small sample of 'Seven-spot ladybirdsâ'� Coccinella septempunctata, collectedin December 2009, identified an accumulation of material with a very high, relative X-ray attenuation value in the malpighiantubules of most but not all of the individuals sampled. The passage of metals such as cadmium in soil through a food chainto finally accumulate in high concentrations in ladybirds and lacewings has been previously reported. The identification of thedense material found in our sample of ladybirds, its origin, and the process by which it accumulates in, and is processed by, themalpighian tubules is the challenge ahead. The authors speculate that a straightforward means of monitoring levels of metallicpollutants in the environment might emerge.