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Photo#559219
blackish Lady Beetle with reddish markings on Goosefoot - Exochomus subrotundus

blackish Lady Beetle with reddish markings on Goosefoot - Exochomus subrotundus
Palos Verdes Peninsula, Los Angeles County, California, USA
August 6, 2011
Size: ~ 3 mm
Found a few of these on Goosefoot (Chenopodium).

Looks a LOT like Exochomus marginipennis, but that is an Eastern species.

There is also the variable E. subrotundus, which is found in California, but its reddish markings appear minimalistic compared to those of E. marginipennis, judging from the few specimens on BugGuide.

Is this an E. subrotundus in E. marginipennis disguise, an adventive E. marginipennis, or ... a completely different species ?

Images of this individual: tag all
blackish Lady Beetle with reddish markings on Goosefoot - Exochomus subrotundus blackish Lady Beetle with reddish markings on Goosefoot - Exochomus subrotundus blackish Lady Beetle with reddish markings on Goosefoot - Exochomus subrotundus

Exochomus fasciatus ?
Over the years, I keep finding similar specimens at this same locality;
most are similarly patterned, but one has virtually all reddish elytra with two blackish blotches near the elytral apex (similar to ).
All appear to have a completely black pronotum; indicating E. fasciatus.

The lighter patches on the pronotum of the specimen on this page are likely due to its shiny surface.

Moved
Moved from Exochomus.

Exochomus subrotundus
This is one potential color variation for E. subrotundus, and the slightly paler areas on the pronotum (especially visible in the 2nd image) rule out the most similar Southern CA species, Exochomus fasciatus. This genus is notoriously difficult to judge on external appearance, with many variations within species and subspecies.

 
Fantastic, Abigail !
Thanks a lot for figuring this out !

Moved
Moved from Lady Beetles.

 
Thanks a lot for the confirmation & upward move, Abigail !

Moved
Moved from Beetles.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

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