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Photo#80123
Coccinella novemnotata, spotless form, from San Joaquin Valley - Coccinella novemnotata

Coccinella novemnotata, spotless form, from San Joaquin Valley - Coccinella novemnotata
Parlier, Fresno County, California, USA
May 3, 2005
I've been calling this C. californica, but the white markings on the head and thorax look different from the representative photos. This specimen is typical of one common species in the San Joaquin Valley.

Can anyone ID to species?

Moved
Moved from Coccinella.

Coccinella novemnotata
This is actually a spotless C. novemnotata. BugGuide's info page for C. californica states: "The unspotted form of Coccinella novemnotata, which is the common form in California, can be distiguished from C. californica by the white line that connects the two spots on either side of the thorax, which is absent in C. californica." And Gordon (1) adds that C. californica has two (separated) white spots on the head between the eyes, (see) whereas yours and C. novemnotata has a solid white bar. Gordon's range distribution and map also confines C. californica to the coastal plain west of the coastal mountains.

But the good news is that even though C. novemnotata is described as commonly found over almost all of 48 states, yours is the first photo for BugGuide! Please keep your eyes out for a spotted one too. :)

 
Thanks
Thanks for the ID. I haven't seen any with spots. The spotted ones here are C. septempunctata. I'll start counting spots.