Confluent-spots
Guides
Psyllobora renifer
Kidney-spotted Fairy Lady Beetle, Kidney-spotted Psyllobora, Kidney-spotted Lady Beetle
Psyllobora renifer is a minute lady beetle distinguished by its unique kidney-shaped markings and specialized diet of powdery mildew fungi. At 1.75–2.4 mm, it is among the smallest lady beetles in North America. Unlike most lady beetles that prey on aphids and soft-bodied insects, this species has evolved to exploit fungal pathogens of plants as its primary food source. It occurs across North and Central America and is most reliably identified by the confluent, connected dark patches on its elytra that merge into larger irregular shapes rather than remaining as discrete spots.