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Photo#798253
Another Lady Beetle with a fungus? - Harmonia axyridis

Another Lady Beetle with a fungus? - Harmonia axyridis
Beavercreek, Greene County, Ohio, USA
June 7, 2013
This appears to be another Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle, perhaps with a fungus at an earlier stage of infection than the previously submitted image, which may be found here:

The beetle in this image was photographed on a walnut (Juglans sp.) volunteer (i.e. squirrel-planted) seedling growing up through my Rosa rugosa 'Wildberry Breeze' (next to the rose the more sickly Lady beetle was on). This beetle was acting normally, running around the leaves searching for prey, but certainly didn't look healthy. Is there any way to tell what the fungus attacking these Lady Beetles may be?

Images of this individual: tag all
Another Lady Beetle with a fungus? - Harmonia axyridis Another Lady Beetle with a fungus? - Harmonia axyridis

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Laboulbeniales fungus
It strikes a variety of lady beetle species but it's most common on H. axyridis. It doesn't impede them unless it becomes very extensive; I've seen beetles whose wings were so thickly covered they couldn't fly, but since their prey is largely stationary, it didn't affect their ability to feed. They're only in real trouble if it starts impeding their mouthparts.

 
Fascinating
Thank you for the information, Abigail. I'll have to watch for the fungus on the two native lady beetle species I currently have in my garden to see if any are infected. It is almost a pity that the fungus isn't more debilitating to the Asian species (if it spared the native species). Are these lady-beetle-attacking fungi native to North America?

 
fungus is worldwide
It's most common on subfamily Coccinellinae in North America (Harmonia, Hippodamia, and Olla are frequent hosts), but it's a general and worldwide fungus. It's also common on Scymninae in Australia and Chilocorinae in the Middle East, for instance.

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