Psyllobora borealis

Casey, 1899

Western Fairy Lady Beetle, western psyllobora lady beetle

Psyllobora borealis is a small lady beetle in the Coccinellidae, commonly known as the Western Fairy Lady Beetle. measure 2.4–3.1 mm in length. The is distinguished from the similar Psyllobora vigintimaculata by its smaller lateral spot on the , which remains separate from the spot. It is a of powdery mildew fungi.

Psyllobora borealis cropped by Robert Webster. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.Psyllobora borealis larva by CNC/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.Psyllobora borealis P1050781a by xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Psyllobora borealis: //ˌsɪləˈbɔːrə bɔˈriːəlɪs//

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Identification

The lateral spot on the is much smaller than in Psyllobora vigintimaculata and always remains separate from the spot, never merging with it. This spot separation is the primary diagnostic feature distinguishing the two .

Images

Appearance

are 2.4–3.1 mm in length. The bear dark splotches on a lighter background. The pronotum displays lighter splotches. The lateral spot on each elytron is notably small and does not connect to the spot.

Distribution

Recorded from western North America: Montana to New Mexico, westward to southern British Columbia and southern California.

Diet

Powdery mildew fungi.

Similar Taxa

  • Psyllobora vigintimaculataDistinguished by P. borealis having a much smaller lateral spot on the that always remains separate from the spot; in P. vigintimaculata the lateral spot is larger and may connect to the median spot.

More Details

Taxonomic note

The was described by Casey in 1899. The Psyllobora contains species specialized in feeding on powdery mildew fungi, an unusual diet among Coccinellidae.

Sources and further reading