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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Coccinelloidea » Coccinellid group » Lady Beetles (Coccinellidae) » Coccinellinae » Coccinella » pale elytral suture (Coccinella pale elytral suture) » Three-banded Lady Beetle (Coccinella trifasciata)

Species Coccinella trifasciata - Three-banded Lady Beetle

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited
Coccinella trifasciata perplexa - Coccinella trifasciata Beetle - Coccinella trifasciata Three-banded Lady Beetles - Coccinella trifasciata - male - female Three-banded Lady Beetle - Coccinella trifasciata Coccinella trifasciata Coccinella trifasciata ? - Coccinella trifasciata Lady Beetle - Coccinella trifasciata Coccinella trifasciata perplexa? - Coccinella trifasciata
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 Coccinella
No Taxon (pale elytral suture)
Species trifasciata (Three-banded Lady Beetle)
Explanation of Names
Coccinella trifasciata Linnaeus 1758
trifasciata (L). 'three banded'
Numbers
One species worldwide, with two subspecies in our region:
Coccinella trifasciata perplexa (C. t. trifasciata = perplexa)
Coccinella trifasciata subversa
Identification
From Gordon's key to the species(1), the following features are seen on these beetles:
1) elytra suture reddish, not black or dark brown (excludes C. novemnotata and C. californica)
2) "head pale except for black band across base (male); or dark and with broad pale band between eyes, band rarely interrupted medially (female)". (excludes those with "head dark with 2 well separated spots on front" - including C. transversoguttata, C. septempunctata, and C. undecimpunctata)
Range
Historical (1985) Map - Current Map
C. trifasciata perplexa- Most of North America north of 40 deg. latitude, except Pacific coast, northern Alaska, northern Canada
C. trifasciata subversa - hugs the west coast, CA to BC (1)
Remarks
considered by New York State to be a "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" (SGCN) (2)
See Also
Transverse Lady Beetle, Coccinella transversoguttata - Pronotum with black anterior margin.


Some species of Hippodamia have similar markings, but shape is elongated and tapered, not rounded.
Internet References
Systema naturae, 10th ed., v.1, p.365 - Linnaeus' original description of the species (in Latin).
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.New York "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" (SGCN)
Contributed by Joel Kits on 3 April, 2005 - 1:23pm
Additional contributions by Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Tim Moyer, Abigail Parker, Tyler Hedlund
Last updated 24 January, 2020 - 1:36pm

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