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Species Coccinella septempunctata - Seven-spotted Lady Beetle

Ladybug on top of Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Coccinella septempunctata Dinner - Coccinella septempunctata Coccinella septempunctata? - Coccinella septempunctata larva - Coccinella septempunctata Seven-spotted Lady Beetle - Coccinella septempunctata Seven-spotted Lady Beetle - Coccinella septempunctata Coccinella septempunctata - Seven-spotted Lady Beetles? - Coccinella septempunctata Coccinella septempunctata
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 septempunctata (Seven-spotted Lady Beetle)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus
Orig. Comb: Coccinella 7-punctata Linnaeus, 1758
Explanation of Names
septempunctata (L). "7-pointed", referring to the 7 black spots on the elytra
Size
6.5-7.8 mm (1)
Identification
Adults comparatively large (7-8 mm) with a white or pale spot on either side of the head.

Larva black with orange markings:
Range
throughout N. Amer., native to Europe to east Asia - Map - Discover Life
the most common lady beetle in Europe
Habitat
may be present in agro-ecosystems (2)
Life Cycle
1. Eggs. 2. Firt instar larvae. 3 and 4. Later instars. 5. Pupa. 6. Teneral adult
Remarks
It has been repeatedly introduced in the US from Europe, to control aphids.
This widespread palearctic species was intentionally introduced into N. America several times from 1956 to 1971 for biological control of aphids. All of those attempts apparently failed in getting C. septempunctata established, but in 1973 an established population was found in Bergen Co., New Jersey. This population is thought to have been the result of an accidental introduction rather than a purposeful one (Angalet and Jacques, 1975). Since 1973, this species has spread naturally and been colonized and established in Delaware, Georgia, and Oklahoma. (Gordon 1985)
It has since spread throughout N. Amer.
Print References
Angelet, G.W. and R.L. Jacques. 1975. The establishment of Coccinella septempunctata L. in the Continental United States. United States Dept. Agr. Coop. Econ. Insect Rep. 25: 883-884.
Angelet, G.W., J.M. Tropp and A.N. Eggert. 1979. Coccinella septempunctata in the United States: recolonizations and notes on its ecology. Envir. Entomol. 8: 896-901.
Cartwright, B.O., R.D. Eikenbary, G.W. Angalet, and R.K. Campbell. 1979. Release and establishment of Coccinella septempunctata in Oklahoma. Env. Ent. 8: 819-823.
Evans, E.W. 2000. Morphology of invasion: body size patterns associated with establishment of Coccinella septempunctata in western North America. European Journal of Entomology 97: 469–474.
Hoebeke, E.R. and A.G. Wheeler, Jr. 1980. New distribution records of Coccinella septempunctata L. in the eastern United States (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Coleopterists Bull. 34: 209-212.
Obrycki, J.J., W.C. Bailey, C.R. Stoltenow, B. Puttler, and C.E. Carlson. 1987. Recovery of the seven-spotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), in Iowa and Missouri. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 60: 584-588.
Obrycki, J.J., K.L. Giles, and A.M. Ormord. 1998. Experimental assessment of interactions between larval Coleomegilla maculata and Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in field cages. Environmental Entomology, 27(5): 1280–1288.
Shaefer, P.W., R.J. Dysart, and H.B. Specht. 1987. North American distribution of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and its mass appearance in coastal Delaware. Environmental Entomology 16: 368-373.
Tedders, W.L. and G.W. Angalet. 1981. Colonization of Coccinella septempunctata (L.) in Georgia. Jour. Georgia Entomol. Soc. 16: 47-53.
Turnock, W.J., I.L. Wise, and F.O. Matheson. 2003. Abundance of some native coccinellines (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) before and after the appearance of Coccinella septempunctata. Canadian Entomologist 135: 391–404.
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.Survey of lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) found on Texas high plains cotton, alfalfa and weeds.
Carroll, S.C., M.N. Parajulee, and M.D. Arnold. 2007. Proceedings of the World Cotton Conference (September 10–14, 2007), Lubbock, TX.