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ARS Home » Plains Area » Brookings, South Dakota » Integrated Cropping Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #262639
Title: First records of both subspecies of Brachiacantha quadripunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Mississippi, U.S.A.

Author
item Hesler, Louis
item LABO, PAUL - University Of Mississippi

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2011
Publication Date: 6/30/2011
Citation: Hesler, L.S., Labo, P.K. 2011. First records of both subspecies of Brachiacantha quadripunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Mississippi, U.S.A. Florida Entomologist. 94:361-363.

Interpretive Summary: The first records of two types of lady beetles from Mississippi are noted here. Records also showed for the first time that the two types of lady beetles have occurred in roughly the same geographic locations in Mississippi and at roughly the same time periods, in contrast to their previously known distribution in the eastern and southern United States. The new records were discovered following a review of previously collected specimens in insect collections at the museums of three major universities. The new records extend the known geographic distribution of the lady beetles about 150 km respectively southward and eastward. These findings support the argument that ongoing curation and periodic review of collections is critical for maintaining accurate regional lists of insects and other animals, in developing hypotheses about the geographic distributions of species, and tracking changes in both through time.

Technical Abstract: The first records of the lady beetles Brachiacantha quadripunctata quadripunctata (Melsheimer) and B. quadripunctata flavifrons Mulsant from Mississippi and their occurrence in sympatry are reported following a review of previously collected material. The new records also extend the known geographic distribution of B. quadripunctata quadripunctata and B. quadripunctata flavifrons about 150 km respectively southward and eastward. Our findings support the argument that ongoing curation and periodic review of collections is critical for maintaining accurate regional faunal lists, in developing hypotheses about the geographic distributions of species, and tracking changes in both through time.