Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Coccinelloidea » Coccinellid group » Lady Beetles (Coccinellidae) » Plant-eating Lady Beetles (Epilachninae) » Subcoccinella » Alfalfa Lady Beetle (Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata)

Species Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata - Alfalfa Lady Beetle

Twenty-four Spotted Ladybird Beetle - Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata

Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (Alfalfa Lady Beetle) - Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata

Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (Linnaeus) - Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata

24-Spot Ladybird on Lake Michigan shore - Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata

Lady Beetle - Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)

Superfamily Coccinelloidea

No Taxon (Coccinellid group)

Family Coccinellidae (Lady Beetles)

Subfamily Epilachninae (Plant-eating Lady Beetles)

Genus Subcoccinella

Species vigintiquatuorpunctata (Alfalfa Lady Beetle)

Other Common Names

Twenty-four Spotted Lady Beetle; European alfalfa beetle (1)

Explanation of Names

Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (Linnaeus 1758)

vigintiquatuorpunctata '24-spotted'

Size

3.5-4.4 mm(2)

Identification

Dorsum covered with fine recumbent hairs, rather opaque. May appear to have a silvery sheen. Pale yellow to orange, with 0-12 black spots on each elytron, typically in 4 transverse, curved rows. Spots may fuse.

Range

native to Eurasia, adventive in ne. US, ON, CO;

first US record: PA 1972(1)

Habitat

Meadows and other open habitats. found mainly on bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis, Caryophyllaceae) along railroad rights-of-way(1)

Food

hosts include >70 plant species; Caryophyllaceae and Fabaceae are favored(1)

Remarks

pest of alfalfa (Medicago sativa)(1)

See Also

Small size and oval form distinguish this sp. from the sympatric Epilachna spp. (>6 mm)(2)

Print References

Wheeler A.G. Jr., Henry T.J. (1981) Seasonal history and habits of the European alfalfa beetle, Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Col. Bull. 35: 197―203. Full text

Works Cited

1.	Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (L.), first Virginia record and new North American host of an adventive lady beetle... Wheeler, A.G. Jr. 1993. Banisteria (2): 22-24.

2.	The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico Robert D. Gordon. 1985. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, Vol. 93, No. 1.

Contributed by Boris Büche on 18 May, 2007 - 3:18am
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Mike Quinn, Tim Moyer, v belov, Abigail Parker
Last updated 11 August, 2023 - 1:33pm

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