What kind of beetle is this?
Asked by
Ziggy90 (
29
)
September 23rd, 2009
Hey everyone,
My friend went hiking this past summer (‘09) and found a beetle that both he and I are trying to find out what kind it is. He thinks it may be a type of ladybug, but again, we’re not sure. It has the body shape of a ladybug but has different colors. Its head and throax are black. Its shell is silvery gray and has a black, splotchy, rorshach-looking pattern.
Here’s a link to a picture of it: http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/shutterbug66/bug.jpg
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! It’d also be helpful to only post answers that are not just blind guesses.
Thanks a lot!
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32 Answers
How big is that cute little guy? The size of a lady bug?
Might it be a shutterbug?
to gailcalled: I wasn’t with my friend when he took the picture, but i’m supposing it’s not that big. It may be about the size of a normal ladybug. And I’m not too sure it’s a lady beetle. The colors don’t match. Thanks though!
This site has a page where you can submit a photo for identification. This one, too. Actually, all of these are id submission sites.
I do not know what it is but it is awesome!
From the same site:
“Red lady beetles with black spots are among the most familiar and easily-recognized insects. There are many other colors and patterns, though, which can be hard to identify. The following physical features will identify all lady beetles, no matter what color they are.”
It has an identification guide, but you need things like antennae length and location of various legs, and things like “First abdominal sternite entire, not divided by hind coxae” – things you probably won’t be able to determine from a photograph.
sure is a pretty little thing, I’d like to find one of those around here, reminds me of this which I found one of in my backyard several years ago. A spiny orb spider. Very cute.
@syz: I worry enough about the ticks and the 4” long horned green tomato worm. (That’s a green worm and not a green tomato.)
Here’s a pretty pic of a gray ladybug
Here’s another angle of the Ashy-Gray
What you have there looks like it’s definitely in the Coccinella family, but I haven’t found what it’s called yet.
Where was your friend hiking?
@SpatzieLover I like that site! And I love the name of the Twice-stabbed Ladybird Beetle!
@syz I like the “stabbed” name too! I’m glad I’m not the only one that finds humor in bug names ;)
Not sure, but, it’s a cute bug!
@evelyns_pet_zebra must say, my lurve for arachnids has grown because of you. That one and the jumping spider that you posted awhile ago are just too darn cute.
OH yea…. That is Ringo!
No more fan mail. Peace and love.
I have to admit, this question just led to spend almost an hour of my precious “all the kids are at school” time looking at pictures of beetles. It is driving me crazy, because I know I’ve seen a bug like that before!
There are 117 pages of ladybird beetle images on www.bugguide.net, and while the Ashy-Gray is close, the beetle in question has a totally black head and thorax, while the ashy-gray is black and white. The markings on the elytra are similar, but different enough that I think you have another kind of beetle.
Please, please, please come back and tell us where the photo was taken. Bugguide only has bugs from the US and Canada. Knowing where the bug was seen will help to narrow down the list of suspects. It’s going to bother me until someone ID’s your bug!
@MissAusten Me too. I’ve looked at all sorts of sites. It’s too intriguing for me to leave it go
@MissAusten some bugs will vary in coloration due to diet, this even applies to spiders, as well as Gods’ favorite insect, the lowly beetle. The markings would be the same, but the colors could vary. A guy raising Madagascar Hissers is experimenting with producing unusual color patterns by feeding his pets with colorful strains of fungus.
@jmah you should have seen the crab spider I rescued from a certain death by latex paint while I was putting a coat of primer on part of my Halloween display. He was so tiny, not very colorful, but I didn’t even think about getting a picture of him.
I’ll ask my friend where he found it and get back to you all as soon as I can! I appreciate all the interest! and thanks again for all the great answers. it’s definitely helping to narrow my search.
@Ziggy90: Thank you. Now I can go back to living my life.
Yay! A little ticked off I didn’t find it myself! @Ziggy90, welcome to Fluther!
Thanks a lot. And some of you were wondering where this little guy came from… it was down in South Carolina on a tree at Andrew Jackson National Forest.
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