|
Superfamily Cucujoidea - Flower, Flat Bark and Ladybird Beetles
The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico (Journal of the New York Entomological Society) Vol. 93, No. 1 (1985) By Robert D. Gordon
912 pages
Slightly dated with regard to status of imported species (1985 - Harmonia axyridis establishment listed as questionable - oh, were it true!), but still a great comprehensive work covering all of lower 48, with detailed line drawings, keys to all species, and distribution maps.
|
Review of the New World Species of Hippodamia Dejean (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) By Edward A. Chapin
Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collection, vol. 106 no. 11, 1946
With 246 figures, this 1946 publication is still the visual reference for Hippodamia. (Gordon (1) and American Beetles both refer to it.) Chapin examined thousands of specimens of each species, and illustrated the complete range of dorsal patterns for each. The male genitalia of each species is also illustrated.
Range maps, though limited, accurately depict type localities. Species names match modern taxonomy, but subspecies are outdated.
|
Larval systematics of North American Cycloneda Crotch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) By Robert Gordon and Natalia Vandenberg
Insect Systematics and Evolution, vol. 28, no. 3, 1993
Invaluable aid for identifying 4th-instar larvae of Cycloneda lady beetles. Key to the three North American species; detailed description, line drawings, and microscopic photos of each species; discussion on separating these three species from a related Central American Cycloneda, and of the Cycloneda genus from other lady beetle larvae.
Sold online for $25 at a scientific research Web site:
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/brill/ise/1993/00000024/00000003/art00004
With this key, I find it easier to identify the larvae of Cycloneda munda, C. polita, and C. sanguinea than the adults!
|
Recognition of Imported Lady Beetles in the Tribe Scymnini Released in Eastern North America By Lynn A. Jones, Michael Montgomery, Guoyue Yu, and Wenhau Lu
Forest Service publication, 2002
Brief but useful article on identification of certain introduced lady beetles in Tribe Scymnini. Includes detailed line drawings of larvae and adults, and scanning electron microscope images of larvae.
Tribe Scymnini larvae, with their waxy white tufts, may seem indistinguishable. Having any information about how to tell them apart - even if it requires a scanning electron microscope - is very valuable!
Online (PDF download): [url=http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/hwa/pubs/proceedings/2002_proceedings/recognition.pdf]http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/hwa/pubs/proceedings/2002_proceedings/recognition
|
Studies in Coccinellidae By George H. Horn
Transactions of the American Entomological Society, vol. 22, 1895
Available free online:
http://entomology.lsu.edu/lsam/horn/Horn255.pdf
Concentrates on Tribe Scymnini, with keys, descriptions, and external dorsal figures of the insects.
Limitations:
- If it wasn't discovered before 1895, it's not in here.
- No figures of appendages or internal anatomy.
- Taxonomy outdated.
What makes up for limitations:
- More-detailed keys and descriptions and more dorsal figures of Tribe Scymnini species than in Gordon's 1985 "The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico." (1) ()
|
Ladybugs of Alberta By John Acorn
University of Alberta Press, 169 pages, 2007
-states that it is the first field guide on Ladybugs of any region of North America...
-covers 75 species found in Alberta, many of which are also widespread across the continent
-Colour plates at beginning of book illustrated by author are very useful, often showing variation within a species
-While it could have been edited rather more tightly, I still find this book to be very useful and It has helped me ID quite a few species in a region more than a thousand miles away...And while the author gets a little deeply into the debate of whether or not "invasive", exotic" or otherwise imported species are useful, beneficial, harmful, etc, this book still has loads of useful information, including lots of easily readable stuff on natural history, collecting techniques and so on...I would give it an enthusiastic "two thumbs up"!
|
Larval key to Genera and selected Species of North American Cocinellidae (Coleoptera) By Rees, B. E., Anderson, D. M., Bouk, D., and Gordon, R. D.
Proceedings of The Entomological Society of Washington, vol. 96(3), pp. 387-412, 1994
"Abstract - An illustrated key to the larvae of 46 of the 60 genera of North American Coccinellidae is presented." (including all genera currently represented in BugGuide) Fourteen genera are not yet understood sufficiently to include.
Paper includes many detailed figures of overall habitus and structures necessary for keys including; head and mouthparts, antennae, body structures and armature types.
|
The Scymnini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the United States & Canada: Key to genera and revision of Scymnus, Nephus, & Diomus By Robert D. Gordon
Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Buffalo, NY, Vol 28, 1976
While Gordon's 1985 work, "The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico" (ref (1)) does contain keys, illustrations, and distribution maps for all species, for "detailed description and discussion" for Scymnini the reader is referred to this earlier work.
As of 2006, copies were still available from the publisher.
|
|
|
|
|
