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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

Genus Hippodamia

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited
Variegated Lady Beetle - Hippodamia variegata Variegated Lady Beetle - Hippodamia variegata Coccinellid? - Hippodamia Coccinellidae: Hippodamia convergens - Hippodamia convergens Hippodamia convergens Hippodamia glacialis glacialis? - Hippodamia Ladybug - Hippodamia Hippodamia tredecimpunctata
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
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Hippodamia Dejean 1837
Hemisphaerica Hope 1840
Adonia Mulsant 1846
Numbers
18 species in North America (17 native, 1 introduced).
Hippodamia americana Crotch, 1873
Hippodamia apicalis Casey, 1899
Hippodamia arctica (Schneider, 1792)
Hippodamia caseyi Johnson, 1910
Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville, 1842
Hippodamia expurgata Casey, 1908
Hippodamia falcigera Crotch, 1873
Hippodamia glacialis (Fabricius, 1775)
Hippodamia lunatomaculata Motschulsky, 1845
Hippodamia moesta LeConte, 1854
Hippodamia oregonensis Crotch, 1873
Hippodamia parenthesis (Say, 1824)
Hippodamia quindecimmaculata Mulsant, 1850
Hippodamia quinquesignata (Kirby, 1837)
Hippodamia sinuata Mulsant, 1850
Hippodamia tredecimpunctata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Hippodamia variegata (Goeze, 1777) (introduced)
Hippodamia washingtoni Timberlake, 1939
Size
3-8 mm (1/8 - 1/3 inch)
Identification
Elongated, oval shape.
Femur visible beyond lateral margin of elytron (that is, part of the upper leg can be seen from above, not concealed under the body).
Color usually red, yellow or brown, usually with black markings; may also be black with red or white markings.
Pronotum black with white markings on outer margin, sometimes with converging white lines.
Cleft tarsal claws are unique to the genus, but can only be seen under magnification.

Larvae: "Alligator-shaped"; gray, brown, or black with orange markings.
Habitat
Anywhere with aphids. Usually outdoors, but may enter buildings in cold weather.
Food
Aphids.
Remarks
grizzly scat has been observed in Wyo containing nothing but the undigested remains of 1000s of Hippodamia ladybugs! (1)
Print References
Chapin, 1946.(2)
Gordon, 1985, especially pp. 706-752.(3)
Acorn, 2007, especially pp. 111-125.(1)
Works Cited
1.Ladybugs of Alberta
John Acorn. 2007. University of Alberta Press, 169 pages.
2.Review of the New World Species of Hippodamia Dejean (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Edward A. Chapin. 1946. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collection, vol. 106 no. 11.
3.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 john and jane balaban on 31 October, 2004 - 10:51am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, Abigail Parker
Last updated 7 November, 2021 - 1:06pm

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