Larva, Psyllobora vigintimaculata

Twenty-Spotted Ladybird Beetle


Psyllabora vigintimaculata larva, Twenty-spotted Ladybug

 

While most Ladybird Beetle larvae are well-known predators of aphids, members of the genus Psyllobora feed instead on plant material, specifically on powder-like mildews.

At seven syllables, the specific epithet vigintimaculata is surely one of the longest of all West Virginia insects. The beetles themselves, by contrast, are quite small—among the smallest of the Ladybugs.


Insects of West Virginia