Hippodamia apicalis

Casey, 1899

Hippodamia apicalis is a of lady beetle in the Coccinellidae. It is native to western North America, with records from Montana to New Mexico, west to southern British Columbia and southern California. are small, measuring 3.50–4.70 mm in length, and display variable color patterns on the with one consistent diagnostic feature: the is always black.

Hippodamia apicalis by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.Hippodamia apicalis by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.Hippodamia apicalis by CNC/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Hippodamia apicalis: /ˌhɪp.oʊˈdeɪ.mi.ə ˌæp.ɪˈkæl.ɪs/

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Identification

The black is a reliable diagnostic feature for distinguishing Hippodamia apicalis from similar with variable elytral patterns. The small size (under 5 mm) and western North American distribution further narrow identification.

Images

Appearance

are small lady beetles, 3.50–4.70 mm in length. The elytral color pattern is variable, but the between the is consistently black regardless of other color variations.

Distribution

Western North America: recorded from Montana to New Mexico, west to southern British Columbia and southern California.

More Details

Taxonomic Authority

First described by Thomas L. Casey in 1899.

Sources and further reading