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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Coccinelloidea » Coccinellid group » Lady Beetles (Coccinellidae) » Coccinellinae » Fungus-eating Lady Beetles (Psyllobora)

Genus Psyllobora - Fungus-eating Lady Beetles

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Works Cited

Ladybug for Abigail - Psyllobora borealis

Tiny Lady Bug - Psyllobora vigintimaculata

Twenty-Spotted Ladybird Beetles mating - Psyllobora vigintimaculata

Psyllobora vigintimaculata in Florida? - Psyllobora vigintimaculata

Coccinellidae: Psyllobora borealis - Psyllobora borealis

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 Psyllobora (Fungus-eating Lady Beetles)

Explanation of Names

Psyllobora Chevrolat in Dejean 1837

Numbers

7 spp. in our area, >20 total

Size

1.5‒3.5 mm

Identification

Key to species adapted from (1):

P. vigintimaculata - most of NA except coastal Southeast and FL. Pronotum always has spots (may be light brown/yellow), elytral markings with various levels of coalescence, can include yellow and orange.

P. borealis - BC‒CA to AB‒n.NM. Apical spot well separated from lateral spot behind middle; lateral spot may be narrowly connected to discal spot

P. nana - FL. Common sutural spot on elytra apical third (completely joined at middle of back)

P. parvinotata ‒ Gulf Coast states. Elytral maculae small, usually not confluent; pronotum sometimes immaculate. (Name means "poorly marked")

P. plagiata ‒ s.AZ. Elytral maculae reduced, with only subapical spot large; form broadly oval.

P. renifer ‒ LA‒CA, and up the Sierra to Tahoe; elytral markings always coalescent.

Larvae: Gray with black and sometimes orange markings, tubercles bearing many fine pale setae

Range

worldwide; in our area:

P. vigintimaculata (Say 1824) - widespead

P. borealis Casey 1899 - west of the Rockies

P. plagiata Schaeffer 1908 - se AZ, w.TX

P. renifer Casey 1899 - mostly along Mexican border

P. parvinotata Casey 1899 - coastal se US

P. schwarzi Chapin 1957 - s.FL

P. nana Mulsant 1850 - s.FL

Food

Plant mold, especially powdery mildew (uniquely in the family)

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.

Contributed by Joel Kits on 3 April, 2005 - 1:17pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, Tim Moyer, v belov, Abigail Parker, Tyler Hedlund
Last updated 30 October, 2023 - 3:20pm

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