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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Coccinelloidea » Coccinellid group » Lady Beetles (Coccinellidae) » Coccinellinae » Hippodamia » apicalis/expurgata complex (Hippodamia apicalis/expurgata complex) » Expurgate Lady Beetle (Hippodamia expurgata)

Species Hippodamia expurgata - Expurgate Lady Beetle

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Food · See Also · Print References · Works Cited
Coccinellid - Hippodamia expurgata Coccinellid - Hippodamia expurgata Hippodamia expurgata Casey - Hippodamia expurgata - male - female Hippodamia expurgata Casey - Hippodamia expurgata - male Hippodamia expurgata Casey - Hippodamia expurgata I searched, but no luck - Hippodamia expurgata I searched, but no luck - Hippodamia expurgata I searched, but no luck - Hippodamia expurgata
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 Coccinellinae
Genus Hippodamia
No Taxon (apicalis/expurgata complex)
Species expurgata (Expurgate Lady Beetle)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Hippodamia expurgata Casey 1908
Orig. Comb: Hippodamia parenthesis expurgata Casey, 1908
Size
Length 3.50 to 5.0 mm, width 2.20 to 3.25 mm.(1)
Identification
Gordon's figures (1)
Usually has a black marking connecting at the suture (midline) in an apical (rear) spot.
Tarsal claw with tooth not closely appressed.
Externally inseparable from Hippodamia apicalis when apical suture spot is present, and closely resembles H. parenthesis when this spot is not present. Species identication requires examination of male genitalia.
Range
w NA (NV-NM-SK-AK) - Map (1)(2)

Most of range overlaps with H. apicalis and H. parenthesis, but may be separable by range in certain areas:
H. apicalis not north of southern British Columbia.(1)
H. apicalis and H. parenthesis also west of Rocky Mountains in Arizona and southern California.
Food
Aphids.
See Also
Examination of the male genitalia is the only certain way to separate H. expurgata from H. apicalis. (1)
Parenthesis Lady Beetle, Hippodamia parenthesis never has black marking connecting at the suture in an apical spot. Size may be larger (up to 5.6 mm long, 4.5 mm wide), and tarsal claw has tooth closely appressed.
Print References
Acorn, "Ladybugs of Alberta," especially p. 117.(2)
Casey, T.L. 1908. Notes on the Coccinellidae. Canadian Entomologist, 40: 393-421.
Gordon, Robert D. 1985. The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 93(1):1-912 available at BHL

Gordon, 1985, especially pp. 722-725, Figures 592-593.(1)
Works Cited
1.The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico
Robert D. Gordon. 1985. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, Vol. 93, No. 1.
2.Ladybugs of Alberta
John Acorn. 2007. University of Alberta Press, 169 pages.
Contributed by Tim Loh on 17 June, 2009 - 1:41pm
Additional contributions by Hartmut Wisch, Mike Quinn, Abigail Parker
Last updated 7 May, 2017 - 4:26pm

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