Mountain Lady Beetle - Coccinella monticola

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Moved from High-country Lady Beetle.

In 2013, several specimens were collected from the subalpine in the Alberni Valley and forwarded to Cornell. All were confirmed as C. monticola and not alta. There is also a photo of C. alta in John Acorn's book "Ladybugs of Alberta" which shows C. alta as having a very definite black line down the elytra, rather than a slightly darker of orange.

… Libby & Rick Avis, 13 October, 2014 - 6:14pm

Moved

Moved from Coccinella monticola.

… Abigail Parker, 22 June, 2010 - 11:49am

Coccinella alta

I was wrong: this is Coccinella alta, a new species for BugGuide. The dark elytral suture distinguishes it from C. monticola, but the location of your beetle threw me off; the range is mainly in the U.S. It has been collected elsewhere in southern Canada though (Alberta), so British Columbia is certainly a possibility.

This individual looks so much like C. alta - with its two-white-spotted head, pronotum with black anterior margin, dark suture, and elytral pattern - that it can't be anything else. And I am pleased to be proved wrong here, because we're gaining a species for BugGuide!

… Abigail Parker, 22 June, 2010 - 10:31am

Maybe another C. Alta?

Thanks Abigail, that's really interesting to know. Will look more closely if we find any others this year. I had also posted two other photos (see below) which I thought were C. monticola. Found at about the 3,000 ft level on Mount Arrowsmith. Do you think this could also be C. alta?

… Libby & Rick Avis, 22 June, 2010 - 12:47pm

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Moved from Ladybird Beetles.

… Libby & Rick Avis, 26 August, 2009 - 10:35pm

size?

Did you measure it, or could you figure out the size based on something else in the photograph? C. monticola is 5.2-7 mm long, and that's big for a lady beetle.

… Abigail Parker, 26 August, 2009 - 2:50pm

Thanks, both...

...for your help. I didn't measure it but would say it was easily 5mm. Just checked our other photos - we have shot of it next to my finger, so I'm pretty confident on size. We also have a photo of another one from a couple of years ago. Didn't post that because it's not very clear.

I'm also curious about your comments re Gordon and his map? Hadn't heard of him/it. Is it on BG or if not is it accessible somewhere on the web? Would be interested if it shows ranges for other ladybird species.

… Libby & Rick Avis, 26 August, 2009 - 3:40pm

Gordon's guide

An invaluable key to lady beetles:

Gordon, Robert. "The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico." Journal of the NY Entomological Society 93:1 (1985), pp. 1-912.

You can order it for about $40, but a free HTML version is here:

http://www.discoverlife.org/users/l/Losey,_John/JEL.html

It's pretty heavy reading and the HTML is awkward - the illustrations and maps are linked, rather than being in the main HTML page, so you can't just browse through it visually. They are clearly labeled, though - use your browser's "Find" feature to search for the species name until you get to the map link.

… Abigail Parker, 26 August, 2009 - 4:36pm

Great....

thanks for the info!

… Libby & Rick Avis, 26 August, 2009 - 10:34pm

I think you are right. Just b

I think you are right. Just by the visual I would suggest Species Coccinella monticola, but I am not sure if Gordon marks it in your area. His mapping show it very close.

… Jason W., 26 August, 2009 - 10:53am

Gordon's map is within shouti

Gordon's map is within shouting distance of the Alberni Valley - I'd say that's close enough for an insect to have traveled since 1985 :-) None of the other Coccinella in the area look quite like this. C. p*rolongata has a black medial suture, not red like this one.

… Abigail Parker, 26 August, 2009 - 2:49pm