...for providing me with such detailed and clearly-explained information. I really appreciate this type of response!

Oh, how I wish I could go back in time and take better photos! But, such is not the case and this really blurry, overly-magnified image of the tarsal claw which I have added is all that I have to offer. Even if the photo was better though, I suspect that there would be further obstacles to a successful identification as the characteristic in question is a comparative one and I cannot seem to find ANY available images of H. lunatomaculata available on the Internet (perhaps there are images of the tarsal claw in some print references?). Without being able to make the comparsion visually between the two claws of the species, I would not know how to guage whether one is significantly appressed or not. So, I suspect that you are correct in surmising that it is best to leave this one at the genus level.

BTW, when I was trying to find images of H. lunatomaculata, I came across this historical print reference that I found rather interesting. I have seen from several other comments that you have posted that you are quite familiar with Gordon's writings and wondered if you had come across this other reference as well? Thanks again, for your help Tim.

UPDATE: I "frassed" the blurry image of the tarsal claw, as it was not likely to prove useful for an ID.

I hadn't found that one yet, and will enjoy reading it. Gordon does reference this work by Timberlake. From the same Journel (on-line) can be found Casey's 1899 work on the ladybirds, which was so encompassing that it appears to still be well referenced today.

Regarding claws, I'll post an image of H. parenthesis soon (easy to do, living in the east where there's no doubt about the species ID). The tooth "lays" closely along the claw, where as Gordon's drawing of H. lunatomaculata looks closer to a small 4 pronged fork, with 2 (outer) large prongs and 2 inner smaller prongs. But he still states that some individuals still can not be determined without looking at male parts.

But given your location, keep collecting these "parenthesis" and sooner or later you'll have the first web image of lunatomaculata :)

PS: I tried to add a range description to the parenthesis info page.

Glad I was able to provide you with some new reading material! The new info you added to the Parenthesis page is a considerable improvement -- thank you. I also appreciate the more detailed description of the tarsal structure I will need to look at (and photograph) the next time I encounter a similar looking Hippodamia. (You know, even though I live in an undeveloped area which is extremely rich in insect diversity, I believe that so far the only species I've found on the local plants is C. septempunctata. Oddly, there seems to be more variety crawling out of the fresh produce in my fridge than I am able to find in the native chaparral...)

After further review (I'm such an amateur I need lots of it - thanks for pointing out my inconsistency) although Gordon states that H. parenthesis west of the Mississippi is easily confused with H. lunatomaculata, he does go on to provide some characteristics which can be used to determine some (but not all) individuals. The combination on yours of the pronotum largely dark and elytra with heavily black markings (same as the other recent posts you pointed to) seem to say that yours is not H. lunatomaculata, and therefore can be determined as H. parenthesis.

While it's good to get these to species, what we really need now is a H. lunatomaculata! Good hunting!

...for giving this one a second look for me. I can't believe you're calling yourself an "amateur", what the heck are the rest of us considerably less knowledgeable folk then?! "Sub-amateur", I guess. (*smile*)

I was just re-reading my comment from last Fall and it's amazing how much I've discovered and learned since then! I claimed to have only been able to find C. septempuncta, but my current count for coccinellids around my place stands at nine species. (I still need to post several of them!) I will definitely be on the look out for the as-of-yet unphotographed H. lunatomaculata.