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Photo#291433
Ladybird - Cycloneda sanguinea

Ladybird - Cycloneda sanguinea
Casselberry, Seminole County, Florida, USA
June 20, 2009
Size: 6mm
Having difficulties with this one..

Came to porch light at night.
Abdomen and pterothorax all black.

Images of this individual: tag all
Ladybird - Cycloneda sanguinea Ladybird - Cycloneda sanguinea

Wow, what an interesting one
There is more to this than Cycloneda sanguinea with reduced pronotal markings. This specimen actually in some ways has more pronotum markings than normal sanguinea, because the anterior area is so extensive (it is about 1.5 - 2x as wide as it appears in any normal Cycloneda species).

I've never seen any image or speccimen of sanguinea where:

-the pale markings curve strongly inward towards the center
-the anterior side of the pale markings is so bold and wide
-the posterior features of the pale markings are so strongly reduced and tapered.

Also the head is black! That's unusual because Cycloneda have an all-white face (male) or two large white spots (female).

If you have collected this specimen, and I hope you have, I think it deserves more attention...At that size, and with this overall appearance, it can't be anything else that is known in North America, but lab confirmation would be interesting.

 
I've had an eye on this for a long time...
This photo was submitted just as I was starting to ID coccinellids on BG; I didn't feel comfortable weighing in on such an unusual specimen, especially if it contradicted Dr. Thomas. But I have never believed it to be C. sanguinea.

There is certainly a large diversity of Neotropic Cycloneda, and Neotropic species (of any kind of animal!) frequently turn up in southern Florida. While I haven't had access to collections of Neotropic Cycloneda, there are some fairly comprehensive online galleries, and I've looked for similar species there. I haven't found anything, though.

It never occurred to me to look outside Cycloneda until now, though.

Moved - concur with Dr. Thomas
Moved from Ladybird Beetles.

Only guessing...
...and a pretty wild guess at that! But, I'm wondering what others think of the possibility that this is Coelophora inaequalis? There is some evidence for a spotless form here:
(Be sure to read the comments for this image.)



Also, based on the images currently within the guide and on this page it seems as though there is a fair bit of variation to the black pattern on the pronotum.

Obviously, those with more experience with coccinellids would need to confirm whether my hunch has any merit...

 
That is a good guess. My onl
That is a good guess. My only fault in this species you picked is that the speciman above has a "rimmed" elytron. I don't think I have seen any of that species that have it. It's similar to the elytron of some of the Chilorus Genus, but I don't think that is the right genus.

Currently the images have also been sent to THE LOST LADYBIRD PROJECT, and Rebecca Rice Smyth has since sent them to Rick Hoebeke, Senior Extension Associate and Assitant Curator Department of Entomology, Comstock Hall at Cornell University. So maybe we will hear some more ideas soon.

It is funny because I remember seeing a similar image roll through ID request a while ago (atleast I think I did) but don't remember anything about it....

 
Any further news?
The red-orange color of the pronotal markings and lack of any pale markings on the head are not like Cycloneda, where markings are yellow to white and even females have pale areas on the head.

What color was the rest of the thorax, compared to the pterothorax? Did the venter have any pale areas, or was it completely dark? Here's the all-dark venter of a C. sanguinea specimen:


Did you hear back from the Cornell experts about this specimen? Even if not, and if we never find out exactly what it is, I'd recommend moving from Cycloneda to subfamily or even family level.

 
Rimmed?
Now I'm a a bit confused... Which image are you saying has a "rimmed" elytron -- yours or the one I referenced by Jeff Hollenbeck? Also, what exactly do you mean by "rimmed" elytron?

 
Sorry, Talking about mine. I
Sorry, Talking about mine. If you look at picture two that is from a top view you can see it.

when I say rimmed (because I don't know any other term for it) I mean at the edge of the elytron closest to the abdomen is curled out almost like an L. I really don't know any other way to describe it.

 
The term you're looking for
is "explanate." How about Cycloneda sanguinea with reduced pronotal markings? The markings that are present match that species and it is a common ladybug in Florida.

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