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Psyllobora vigintimaculata
I spotted this tiny (<2mm) Twenty-spotted ladybug on my mammoth sunflower leaf in my garden in Emeryville, CA. From Discover Life: "The only northeastern North American species of Psyllobora, P. vigintimaculata, is a small (2-3mm), yellowish species that occurs across the continent from Labrador to Alaska and south to Mexico. Unlike most lady beetles, which are carnivores, Psyllobora species are mildew-feeders, and have mandibles armed with rake-like rows of small teeth used in gathering up spores and conidia."
Urban flower garden.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/194299 http://www.everything-ladybug.com/photos... http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q
Spotted on Sep 15, 2011
Submitted on Sep 17, 2011
6 Comments
Thanks JOHN2!
Great find, very interesting Thanks!
I know--I almost missed it. Since then I have seen more on the sunflowers.
Wow, that is small!
Thank you Cindy. I almost ignored it, but took a photo any ways, when I zoomed in I was surprised at what I saw! I thought is was a juvenile Harmonia axyridis, but it is a species of its own, amazing.
Wow, that is tiny. Nice spotting.