Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Coccinelloidea » Coccinellid group » Lady Beetles (Coccinellidae) » Coccinellinae » Fungus-eating Lady Beetles (Psyllobora) » Psyllobora parvinotata
Photo#364519
mildew-eating lady beetle - Psyllobora parvinotata - male - female
Copyright © 2010 Lyn Atherton

mildew-eating lady beetle - Psyllobora parvinotata - Male Female
St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, USA
February 26, 2009
Size: 2-3 mm
Another view (see BG photo #364406 by Carol Wolf) of the copulating pair of mildew-eating lady beetles. This view shows the ususual mandibles used to "rake" in mildew. There was a good-sized colony of these beetles at this location. What is the significance of the orange vs white pronotum shown by some individuals of this species? Is this a subspecies distinction?

Images of this individual: tag all
mildew-eating lady beetle - Psyllobora parvinotata - male - female mildew-eating lady beetles - Psyllobora parvinotata - male - female
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Lyn Atherton on 14 January, 2010 - 7:38pm
Last updated 23 October, 2014 - 8:44am

Psyllobora pronota
The immaculate brown pronotum is unique to P. parvinotata among North American Psyllobora, but as you can see it's not shared by all of them. There hasn't been a subspecies division, although your point about the localities and photos of same-pronotum mating pairs are suggestive.

I think Psyllobora are understudied, because eating mold isn't as interesting to economic entomologists as eating aphids (or eating plants, like the squash and bean lady beetles). It's great to see good, clear photos of these little beetles, and I hope there'll be more taxonomic work done on them someday!
… Abigail Parker, 14 January, 2010 - 8:58pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact