beat me to it!

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

What habitat did you find it in? Did you notice any prey insects around - particularly mealybugs?

How big was it? C. montrouzieri is relatively large within Tribe Scymnini, usually over 4mm (that's large in Scymnini!).

I'm not going to say it IS C. montrouzieri w/o a little more evidence. The pronotum isn't uniformly pale and the pale area at the apex doesn't seem as extensive as typical C. montrouzieri.

I'm not sure what to do with the different-colored legs, either. The rear legs are dark, the rest are pale. In C. montrouzieri females, only the forelegs are pale while the middle and rear are dark. I can't think of another Scymini species where there's a difference in leg color at all, though.

I found this one along a year-round creek with, for SoCal, an incredible amount of sand around. Creek is lined with reeds. It is across from a marsh that is a wildlife preserve attached to a water treatment plant.

The small set-apart area I found it in is a hunting ground for spider wasps, a perching place for dragonflies, and a hang-out for odd little critters including toad bugs and pygmy grasshoppers. I haven't seen any mealybugs. Lace bugs, however, are in evidence.

I'd estimate size at over 4mm and have just posted a shot to show scale next to my friend's rather large hand.