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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Coccinelloidea » Coccinellid group » Lady Beetles (Coccinellidae) » Coccinellinae » Olla » Ashy Gray Lady Beetle (Olla v-nigrum)

Species Olla v-nigrum - Ashy Gray Lady Beetle

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · See Also · Works Cited

Ashy Gray Lady Beetle larva? - Olla v-nigrum

Spotted Olla pupation and emergence - Olla v-nigrum

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)

Superfamily Coccinelloidea

No Taxon (Coccinellid group)

Family Coccinellidae (Lady Beetles)

Subfamily Coccinellinae

Genus Olla

Species v-nigrum (Ashy Gray Lady Beetle)

Other Common Names

Ash Gray / Ashy Grey Lady Beetle

Explanation of Names

Olla v-nigrum (Mulsant 1866)

v-nigrum = 'black v'

Size

3.7-6.1 mm(1)

Identification

lateral margin of elytron feebly explanate; gray with black spots, or black with two red spots. Gordon's figures(1)

two basic color variants that are strikingly different:

a third, less common, form:

Range

across most of the US to Argentina [Map](1)(2)

See Also

Dark form can be confused with Chilocorus sp, which have elytra more explanate (appearing more flared) and are a different shape (more "A-frame" basally). Chilocorus sp. never have white markings on head or pronotum.

Both pale and dark forms might be confused with similar forms of Harmonia axyridis:

Specific coloration, markings, and shape separate the two. Especially note that O. v-nigrum's spots tend to appear triangular, always with the side sloping away from the suture (where the wings meet) basally. H. axyridis' spots tend to be more of a rounded square.

Psyllobora plagiata has similar color and markings, but size is much smaller, only 2.5 - 3.1 mm (1/8 inch or less).

Works Cited

1.	The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico Robert D. Gordon. 1985. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, Vol. 93, No. 1.

2.	American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi on 4 December, 2004 - 8:11am
Additional contributions by Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Tim Moyer, v belov, Abigail Parker
Last updated 15 April, 2018 - 3:30pm

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