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Variability of elytral color patterns in Coccinellidae

Text © Christoph Benisch, 2008–2020, photos © cited authors

Introduction Short overview Gallery Literature

1. Introduction

Many ladybird species (Coccinellidae) exhibit a remarkable variability of elytral color patterns within one and the same species. Especially for newcomers, the determination of ladybirds can be complicated due to the variability of the species.

The polymorphism of numerous Coccinellid species, especially Adalia bipunctata, had been investigated extensively and the results have been published in numerous articles (cf. further readings). The correlation between color and chance of survival during hibernation, activity levels at different temperatures, reproductive success, but also environmental pollution has been investigated and described by a number of scientists.

On this page I'd like to introduce the most common types of color patterns of local Coccinellid species, especially in order to support newcomers in their determination efforts. While we're at it, I'd like to ask for your contribution: If you have made photos of types not yet available in this collection (ideal would be dorsal view), please kindly submit them (for my email address see imprint). I'll put them on this page together with a remark of your copyright.

2. Short overview

Henosepilachna argus1

Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata7

Chilocorus bipustulatus3

Chilocorus renipustulatus2

Exochomus quadripustulatus4

Exochomus nigromaculatus1

Aphidecta obliterata8

Hippodamia tredecimpunctata3

Hippodamia variegata19

Hippodamia notata4

Hippodamia undecimnotata3

Anisosticta novemdecimpunctata4

Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata5

Adalia conglomerata4

Adalia decempunctata42

Adalia bipunctata14

Coccinella hieroglyphica4

Coccinella septempunctata11

Coccinella magnifica1

Coccinella quinquepunctata4

Coccinella undecimpunctata4

Coccinula quatuordecimpustulata2

Oenopia lyncea1

Oenopia conglobata10

Oenopia impustulata1

Harmonia quadripunctata9

Harmonia axyridis72

Myrrha octodecimguttata2

Sospita vigintiguttata4

Calvia decemguttata4

Calvia quatuordecimguttata5

Propylea quatuordecimpunctata28

Myzia oblongoguttata2

Anatis ocellata16

Halyzia sedecimguttata6

Vibidia duodecimguttata1

Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata8

3. Gallery

Henosepilachna argus (Fourcr., 1762)

Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (L., 1758)

Chilocorus bipustulatus (L., 1758)

Chilocorus renipustulatus (Scriba, 1850)

Exochomus quadripustulatus (L., 1758)

Exochomus nigromaculatus (Goeze, 1777)

Aphidecta obliterata (L., 1758)

Hippodamia tredecimpunctata (L., 1758)

Hippodamia variegata (Goeze, 1777)

Hippodamia notata (Laich., 1781)

Hippodamia undecimnotata (Schneid., 1792)

Anisosticta novemdecimpunctata (L., 1758)

Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata (L., 1761)

Adalia conglomerata (L., 1758)

Adalia decempunctata (L., 1758)

Adalia bipunctata (L., 1758)

Coccinella hieroglyphica L., 1758

Coccinella septempunctata L., 1758

Coccinella magnifica Redt., 1843

Coccinella quinquepunctata L., 1758

Coccinella undecimpunctata L., 1758

Coccinula quatuordecimpustulata (L., 1758)

Oenopia lyncea (Ol., 1808)

Oenopia conglobata (L., 1758)

Oenopia impustulata (L., 1767)

Harmonia quadripunctata (Pont., 1763)

Harmonia axyridis Pall., 1773

Myrrha octodecimguttata (L., 1758)

Sospita vigintiguttata (L., 1758)

Calvia decemguttata (L., 1767)

Calvia quatuordecimguttata (L., 1758)

Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L., 1758)

Myzia oblongoguttata (L., 1758)

Anatis ocellata (L., 1758)

Halyzia sedecimguttata (L., 1758)

Vibidia duodecimguttata (Poda, 1761)

Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata (L., 1758)

4. Literature

Zur Analyse des Polymorphismus bei Adalia bipunctata L.
N. W. Timofeeff-Ressovsky, Biol. Zbl. 1940, 60 (3-4), 130-137.
Mosaic dominance in the inheritance of color patterns in the lady-bird beetle Harmonia axyridis
C. C. Tan, Genetics 1946, 31, 195-210. (External link to the document )
Is polymorphism in two-spot ladybird an example of non-industrial melanism?
B. R. Benahm, D. Lonsdale, J. Muggleton, Nature 1974, 249, 179-180.
Melanism in Adalia bipunctata L. (Col., Coccinellidae) and its Relationship to Atmospheric Pollution
J. Muggleton, D. Lonsdale, B. R. Benham, The Journal of Applied Ecology 1975, 12 (2), 451-464.
Polymorphism in the Two-Spot Ladybird Adalia bipunctata in Western Norway
S.-A. Bengtson, R. Hagen, Oikos 1975, 26 (3), 328-331.
On polymorphism in elytral coloration pattern in Coelophora quadrivittata (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae)
J. Chazeau, Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 1980, 27 (2), 194-198. (External link to the document )
Ecological Studies on the Polymorphic Ladybird Adalia bipunctata in the Netherlands. II. Population Dynamics, Differential Timing of Reproduction and Thermal Melanism
P. Brakefield, The Journal of Animal Ecology 1984, 53 (3), 775-790. (External link to the document )
Selection along Clines in the Ladybird Adalia bipunctata in the Netherlands: A general mating Advantage to Melanics and its Consequences
P. Brakefield, Heredity 1984, 53 (1), 37-49. (External link to the document )
Polymorphic Mullerian mimicry and interactions with thermal melanism in ladybirds and a soldier beetle: a hypothesis
P. Brakefield, Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 1985, 26, 243-267.
Differential winter mortality and seasonal selection in the polymorphic ladybird Adalia bipunctata (L) in the Netherlands
P. Brakefield, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 1985, 24 (2), 189-206. (External link to the document [p. 45 et sqq.])
Why big species of ladybird beetles are not melanic?
L. A. Stewart, F. G. Dixon, Funct. Ecol. 1989, 3, 165-171.
Seasonal variation in elytral colour polymorphism in Harmonia axyridis (the ladybird beetle): the role of non-random mating
N. Osawa, T. Nishida, Heredity 1992, 69, 297-307. (External link to the document )
Differences in thermal balance, body temperature and activity between non-melanic and melanic two-spot ladybird beetles (Adalia bipunctata) under controlled conditions
P. Jong, S. Gussekloo, P. Brakefield, J. Exp. Biol. 1996, 199 (12), 2655-2666. (External link to the document )
Does thermal melanism maintain melanic polymorphism in the two-spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)?
M. Majerus, I. Zakharov, Zh. Obshch. Biol. 2000, 61 (4), 381-392.
Temporal stability of morph frequency in central European populations of Adalia bipunctata and A. decempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
A. Honek, Z. Martiková, S. Pekár, European Journal of Entomology 2005, 102 (3), 437-442. (External link to the document )