ladybeetle - Coccinella monticola

Moved

Tim, I didn't notice the difference, especially since I photographed a C. transversoguttata from the same general area. Your scrutiny added a new species to my list:-)

… tom murray, 23 July, 2009 - 2:25pm

C. monticola

Tom, unless someone positively determined this one as C. transversoguttata, I'd suggest the complete absense of any humeral spot leans more toward C. monticola. See comments under

C. difficilis might also be possible, but I'd lean toward C. monticola.

… Tim Moyer, 22 July, 2009 - 11:21pm

but what about the darkish suture?

I just found a Coccinella alta hiding in the C. monticola images, with an unmistakable dark suture. This isn't as clear a case, and I'm not saying it's C. alta, but I'm not sure it's C. monticola in any case. (I won't be difficult and say "difficilis" though.)

… Abigail Parker, 22 June, 2010 - 12:56pm

red vs. "dark brown/black"?

agree this one's suture is redder than the others, including the couple of "types" from the MCZ. However, I put this one under monticola based on Gordon's key, which splits from alta at #3

"3(1). Elytral suture very narrowly margined with dark brown or black, at least apically .... 4 (leads to alta)
- Elytral suture red, not or only slightly darker than the pale discal areas .... 9 (leads to monticola)".

See novemnotata and califorica for other examples of the dark suture from couplet #4.

If anything, to me it looks like the one moved to alta gets lighter apically, not darker, and not "dark brown or black". Ultimately I don't know enough to know, but what do you think?

… Tim Moyer, 23 June, 2010 - 12:02pm

not alta here, and yes, now I've got more doubts!

It was the shape and size and the way the gestalt matched Gordon's C. alta illustration so perfectly that made me move the other one to C. alta; I do fear I may have been too hasty, but it looks more like C. alta than C. monticola to me....let's leave it there a bit while I second-guess some more :)

This one I am sure isn't C. alta, but also not 100% sure it's C. monticola either. I did some intensive Coccinella work yesterday and have been carefully inspecting all our images, perhaps either a) too carefully and doubting where I shouldn't, or b) not carefully enough because I think I know what I'm doing now!

I'm okay w/ leaving this in C. monticola at present. It is just a very tricky ID - wish we had more shots of this beetle!

… Abigail Parker, 23 June, 2010 - 12:23pm