Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Coccinella transversoguttata Faldermann, 1835
Explanation of Names
transversoguttata (L). "across" + "spotted"
Identification
Head black with two white spots (white spots faded in spmns)
Pronotum black with white marking on each side
Elytra with solid black band or band of black spots behind pronotum, two elongated or teardrop-shaped black markings on each side
Range
Current Range - per Lost Ladybug Proj. spotter data
Historical Range - Worldwide in Northern Hemisphere; in North America: CA-VA-Labrador to AK, plus Greenland(!)
(1)
Based on Lost Ladybug Project and BugGuide records, the species is now most frequently found in the Rocky Mountains.
Season
mostly: May-Sept (BG data)
Remarks
Numbers of this species are declining throughout its range, perhaps due to competition from introduced species such as the Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) and Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis):
"This was certainly the most abundant, widespread ladybug in Alberta up until the arrival of the seven-spot....[T]he relative abundance (among the aphid-eating ladybugs other than the seven-spot) of transverse ladybugs declined steeply during the decade after the seven-spot's arrival." (John Acorn,
Ladybugs of Alberta, p. 135.)
(2)
Ladybugs of Alberta also cites studies conducted in Maine, Manitoba, and South Dakota that found similar declines in Transverse Lady Beetle populations after the introduction of Seven-Spotted and Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles; see chapter 4, "Introduced Ladybugs and Conservation."
considered by New York State to be a "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" (SGCN)
(3)See Also
Three-banded Lady Beetle, Coccinella trifasciata - Front of pronotum usually with white border; head of male and some females with white center; usually with wide black bands instead of narrow teardrop-shaped spots on sides.
Coccinella monticola, Coccinella fulgida - Single large black spot behind pronotum, not narrow band; markings on sides often larger.
Some species of Hippodamia have similar markings on elytra, but shape elongated, tapered, not rounded; pronotum often with white border and/or more than two white markings; legs long and always visible from above.
Print References
Gordon, 1985, especially pp. 790-793, figures 641-642.
(1)
Acorn, "Ladybugs of Alberta," especially pp. 49-51 (conservation), pp. 135-136 (identification).
Harrison, W.C., and J. Acorn. 2000. The effects of the introduced lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata, on the native coccinelline fauna of Alberta. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Alta. 48: 6.
Internet References
Mulsant, M.E. 1850. Species de Coleopteres trimeres securipalpes. Annales des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles d'Agriculture et d'Industrie 2: 1-1104. (
p. 117). Note that Mulsant refers to Faldermann as the original describer of the species. Citations of Mulsant 1850 as the OD are incorrect.
