Rhizobius is a genus in the fungi kingdom (see Disease resistance in fruit and vegetables

Disease resistance in fruit and vegetables

There are a number of lines of defence against pests and diseases in the organic garden, principal among these being the practice of good husbandry, creating healthy soil and ensuring high standards of garden hygiene...

), as well as an obsolete name for the aphid genus Pemphigus.

Rhyzobius is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 in the lady beetle family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 (Coccinellidae). It belongs to tribe

Tribe (biology)

In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...

 Coccidulini of subfamily Coccidulinae, which is sometimes subsumed in the Coccinellinae as a tribe with the Coccidulini downranked to subtribe.

The genus was established by J.F. Stephens

James Francis Stephens

James Francis Stephens was an English entomologist.-Biography:Stephens was born in Shoreham-by-Sea and studied at Christ's Hospital.He was employed in the Admiralty office, Somerset House, from 1807 to 1845...

 in 1832. Often misspelled as "Rhizobius", that is actually an older name, now suppressed, for a genus of wooly aphids. The misspelling was first made in the original description in 1832; however, Stephens had used the name in 1829 already (as nomen nudum

Nomen nudum

The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...

) and written it "Rhyzobius", so this spelling is used now. Louis Agassiz

Louis Agassiz

Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz was a Swiss paleontologist, glaciologist, geologist and a prominent innovator in the study of the Earth's natural history. He grew up in Switzerland and became a professor of natural history at University of Neuchâtel...

 in 1846 argued that Stephens intended to write "Rhizobius" all along and formally proposed to change the name thus, but this is considered unwarranted.

Species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of Rhyzobius can be found almost anywhere on Earth. Rhyzobius lophanthae is used for biological pest control

Biological pest control

Biological control of pests in agriculture is a method of controlling pests that relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms...

 in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, namely scale insect

Scale insect

The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects.-Ecology:...

s (Coccoidea).

Selected species

Some species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of Rhyzobius are:

• Rhyzobius acceptus (Broun, 1880)
• Rhyzobius bassus Normand, 1938 (may belong in R. bipartitus)
• Rhyzobius bipartitus Fuente, 1918
• Rhyzobius chrysomeloides (Herbst, 1792)
• Rhyzobius consors
• Rhyzobius densepunctatus Pope, 1957
• Rhyzobius fagus (Broun, 1880)
• Rhyzobius forestieri (Mulsant, 1853)
• Rhyzobius litura (Fabricius, 1787)
• Rhyzobius lophanthae (Blaisdell, 1892)
• Rhyzobius minutulus
• Rhyzobius oculatissimus Wollaston, 1857
• Rhyzobius rarus (Broun, 1880)
• Rhyzobius suffusus
• Rhyzobius thoracicus Fürsch, 2007
• Rhyzobius tristis
• Rhyzobius ventralis
  Rhyzobius ventralis
  Rhyzobius ventralis, common names including Black Lady Beetle, Gumtree Scale Ladybird, is a ladybird species endemic to Tasmania and all the mainland states of Australia except the Northern Territory. It is also found in New Zealand, but not naturally...
  
  – Black Lady Beetle, Gumtree Scale Ladybird