spotted pink lady beetle

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Spotted pink lady beetle is an elongated, pink, ladybird beetle. It is very common and widespread, probably the most common native lady beetle in eastern North America.

The body is ⅛″ to ¼″ long, 3 ⁄32″ to ⅛″ wide, broadly oval, dome-shaped, and somewhat flattened above (dorsally).

The head is black with a pink triangular mark on the upper part of the face (frons). The head is visible when viewed from above. The antennae are short and weakly clubbed.

The plate covering the first segment of the thorax (pronotum) is pink with two large, triangular, black spots.

The thick, hardened, shell-like forewings (elytra) are pink with ten black spots. They may appear red but closer examination shows the color to be darkish pink. The spots are in four rows in a 3-2-3-2 pattern. The spots in row 2 are large and undivided. The central (dorsal) spot in rows 1 and 3 are spread over the junction of the two elytra. When the elytra are separated the number of spots becomes twelve.

The underside is flat and black except for the plate covering the first segment of the thorax (prosternum), and the lateral margin of the abdomen, both of which are pink.

The legs are black. When viewed from above, the third leg segment (femur) is visible. There are two spurs at the end (apex) of the fourth leg segment (tibia) of the middle and hind legs.

The larva looks like a tiny, blackish alligator with numerous spines and six legs.

Total length: ⅛″ to ¼″

Wherever plants that host their prey are found

Two to five generations per year: early or mid-spring to fall

Adults congregate in large numbers to overwinter in a protected area beneath leaf litter and stones, often near crop borders. They emerge in early to mid-spring. The female lays clusters of 8 to 15 eggs in a protected area on a leaf or stem near prey. Over the course of the season the female will lay between 200 and 1,000 eggs. Larvae moult three or four times before pupating. Three to twelve days later the adult emerges depending on the temperature.

Plant pollen, aphids, adelgids, mites, insect eggs, and small insect larvae, including grain aphid (Acyrthosiphon dirhodum), pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), melon aphid (Aphis gossypii), dock aphid (Aphis rumicis), cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae), turnip aphid (Lipaphis erysimi), English grain aphid (Sitobion avenae), potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), Nearctaphis crataegifoliae, lettuce root aphid (Pemphigus bursarius), pine bark adelgid (Pineus strobi).

Sources

Very common and widespread

Coleomegilla maculata lengi spotted pink ladybeetle

Coleomegilla maculata lengi spotted pink ladybeetle, hedgerow next to Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI photographed May 11, 2021 on Wake Robin, Trillium erectum. Also found on other spring ephemerals.

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Location: hedgerow next to Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI

Coleomegilla maculata lengi spotted pink ladybeetle, hedgerow next to Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI photographed May 11, 2021 on Wake Robin, Trillium erectum. Also found on other spring ephemerals.

Location: Albany MN

Location: Slinger, Wisconsin

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota