Genus Cycloneda - Spotless Lady Beetles

Cycloneda Crotch 1873

3 spp. in our area

Pronotum with pale yellow lateral spot enclosed or surrounded by black coloration(1). Differs from C. polita and C. munda, both of which have pronotum with pale yellow lateral "C" or almost a complete yellow ring, but not a separate yellow "spot". C. sanguinea occurs across the southern US, from CA to FL and up the east coast to VA.(1)

Pronotum with pale yellow lateral "C" or almost a complete yellow ring(1), but not a separate yellow "spot" as found in C. sanguinea. Legs dark. Very similar to C. munda but separated by distribution - West coast and east in northern states to east slope of Rockies.

Pronotum similar to C. polita. Legs light yellowish-brown. Distribution more eastern: East Coast (ME-FL) west to Great Plains.

The color of C. munda is typically a paler, more orangish-red, while C. polita is typically dark red. However, there is variation within each species, and color cannot be used for definite ID where ranges overlap. Leg color is more reliable: C. polita has black or dark brown legs, C. munda has light yellow-brown legs.

Some individuals may have dark markings due to damage to the developing pupa:

Vandenberg N.J. (2002) The New World genus Cycloneda Crotch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellini): Historical review, new diagnosis, new generic and specific synonyms. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 104: 221-236.