Nine Spotted Lady Beetle

Like most Coccinellidae, C. novemnotata is subject to interspecies predation and cannibalism. Coccinella transversoguttata is known to prey on all life stages of C. novemnotata. In lab reared populations, it has been observed that active stages of C. novemnotata will cannibalize eggs and pupae, while large larvae will prey on smaller larvae. As a coccinellid, it is likely that C. novemnotata can reflex bleed when threatened by a predator, excreting a toxin from its joints. The red color of these beetles functions as aposematic warning coloration.

Known Predators:

• Coccinella transversoguttata

Anti-predator Adaptations: aposematic

Coccinella novemnotata typically has nine spots, which gives it its name (novem- nine in Latin), although there are spotless forms which may be confused with Coccinella johnsi. They are red, oval-shaped and range from 4.7 to 7.0 mm. They range in size (area of their elytra) from 24.36 to 37.66 sq. mm. Coccinella novemnotata has a broad head with a pale band between its eyes that is posteriorly and anteriorly black. The anterior margin of the pronotum is pale as well. There is a large ventral pale spot that is trapezoidal, extending posteriorly as far as the dorsal spot. The elytra have black spots that get smaller in size and in number until the scutellar spot.

Coccinella novemnotata eggs are usually orange to bright yellow in color. Eggs that are viable retain this color while non-viable eggs shrivel and become dark brown or black within 2 to 3 days.

Range length: 4.7 to 7.0 mm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry ; polymorphic ; poisonous

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike

There is little information available on this topic for C. novemnotata, though it is known that it takes approximately 20 days for C. novemnotata to develop from an egg to an adult. Adults then live for several weeks during the summer, with the final generation overwintering.

Coccinella novemnotata is found on agricultural land and lives on various crops such as alfalfa, clover, corn, cotton, potatoes and soybeans. These beetles can also be found on a variety of non-agricultural vegetation in wooded habitats, grasslands and suburban areas. A survey conducted found that C. novemnotata are highly likely to be living in national parks, though the reason for this is unknown.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest

Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural

Coccinella novemnotata, the nine-spotted lady beetle, was historically one of the most prevalent ladybird beetle species in its range. It was found throughout the Nearctic region in the United States and southern Canada. However, its range has significantly diminished in recent years, particularly in the United States. A survey in 2009 found only a few specimens in western and central United States. Another survey conducted by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in 1993 found no Coccinella novemnotata in thirteen Northeastern states, though a single specimen was found in 2006 in Virginia, the first to be spotted in 14 years in the eastern states.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

Coccinella novemnotata is an insectivore coccinellid and thrives primarily on a diet of aphids. They prey on a large variety of aphids, including pea aphids, green peach aphids, and cheery-oat aphids. They will also eat spider mites, alfalfa weevils, the nymphs of leafhoppers, and lepidopteran eggs.

Animal Foods: insects

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )

Coccinella novemnotata acts as a predator to many species of aphids, as well as spider mites, alfalfa weevils, leafhopper nymphs, and lepidopteran eggs. Aphids are the primary prey of both larvae and adults of C. novemnotata. Competition over aphid prey and other food is suspected to have led to the diminished population of C. novemnotata in North America today. Evidence suggests that C. novemnotata is competing with the introduced species, Coccinella septempunctata, for aphids. The body size of C. novemnotata is particularly susceptible to prey availability, and the mean body size has decreased significantly in the past few years, indicating that C. novemnotata is being out-competed for prey. Other factors that have been proposed as reasons for the decline of Coccinella novemnotata are climate change as well as a change in agricultural land use. Other invasive species, such as Harmonia axyridis have not been attributed with the decline of this species. Coccinella novemnotata is also considered to be a natural enemy of Ostrina nubilalis, the European corn borer. The braconid wasp Perilitus coccinellae is known to be a parasite of C. novemnotata adults.

Commensal/Parasitic Species:

• Perilitus coccinellae

In 1914 in Connecticut and 1930 in Minnesota, Coccinella novemnotata was ranked as one of the coccinellids with the greatest economic importance, as it could control aphid populations in crops. However, since that time the decline of the species has reduced its importance.

Positive Impacts: controls pest population

There are no known adverse affects of Coccinella novemnotata on humans.

In 2000, Cornell University started The Lost Ladybug Project, which uses images of ladybugs taken by citizens to identify coccinellids from across the country. This project has been effective in providing information about the location of coccinellids, and has helped establish the limited presence of C. novemnotata in the western states.

There is no available information that describes the communication and perception of Coccinella novemnotata, but it is likely similar to other Coccinellidae that rely on mainly visual and chemical inputs to locate prey and mates.

Communication Channels: visual ; chemical

Perception Channels: visual ; chemical

This species currently has no conservation status, but due to the massive decline in population size across the United States, C. novemnotata is a likely candidate for future conservation efforts.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Larvae of Coccinella novemnotata hatch from eggs after approximately four days. The larvae undergo four instars before pupating, metamorphosing, and reaching adulthood. It takes an average of four to five days for Coccinella novemnotata to reach its third-instar. After approximately seven more days, the larvae spend one day in a pre-pupal stage where they stop eating and appear very sluggish. The larvae then pupate. After four days, adults emerge. After one day, the elytra on the adult Coccinella novemnotata hardens.

Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis ; diapause

There is not available literature that describes the mating systems of Coccinella novemnotata, but there is research that describes the mating systems of the very similar Coccinella septempunctata. Males of Coccinella septempunctata exhibit a five step courtship display. They first approach a female, watch, then examine, mount and attempt copulation. Females who are not sexually mature, have recently mated, or are about to oviposit, exhibit a display of rejection towards the male. Males recognize female mates based on chemical and visual cues, such as size and female body shape. It is possible that the chemical cues play a larger role in attracting a male than the visual cues. Males may mate multiple times in one day. It is possible, though not certain, that the mating habits of C. novemnotata are similar to those of C. septempunctata.

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

There is little available scientific literature that describes the general mating behavior of Coccinella novemnotata. It is known that C. novemnotata reaches sexual maturity 2 to 4 days after it becomes an adult. Adults breed continuously during a several week period in the summer that occurs before overwintering.

Breeding interval: Adults breed continuously, living for several weeks.

Breeding season: Adults breed for several weeks in the summer.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 22 to 25 days.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 22 to 25 days.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous

Literature is not available that describes the parental investment of Coccinella novemnotata, but typically Coccinellidae provide only nutrients in the egg and no other parental investment.

Parental Investment: pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female)

The nine-spotted ladybug, commonly referred to as C-9, (Coccinella novemnotata), is a relatively large (5-7 mm long) ladybug native to North America. Up until 1970, C-9 was the most common ladybug species in the northeastern United States, with a wide range including most of the states and southern Canada. This species had an important natural role in agricultural bio-control due to its wide diet of crop pests (including many scale insects and aphids) as well as its tolerance for living on a breadth of different host plants. However population numbers of C-9 have precipitously declined since the 1970’s for reasons unknown. One hypotheses for its reduced numbers is the introduction and establishment of several other ladybug species (the seven spotted ladybug Coccinella septempunctata, the Asian ladybug Harmonia axyridis, the 14-spot ladybug Propylaea quatuordecimpunctata and the variegated ladybeetle Hippodamia variegata). These ladybugs invaded the nine-spotted ladybug's range in the timeframe of C-9’s demise, but more data is needed to determine whether they did, in fact, catastrophically impact C. novemnotata populations, and if so, by what mechanism. In 1980 C-9 was nominated as state insect of New York, and finally designated with this honor, despite the fact that by the time the paperwork was approved in 1989, this insect's population numbers had dropped, and it has for decades been considered locally extinct in this state. However, a recent discovery of Coccinella novemnotata on July 30, 2011 on Long Island, (the first New York sighting since 1982), has confirmed that this species is present in small numbers. “The Lost Ladybug Project”, a citizen science group based at Cornell University, and other conservation groups have started to actively document and research C. novemnotata and other rare and declining American ladybug species. (Gorman 2011; Harmon et al 2007; The Lost Ladybug Project 2011; Stephens and Losey 2003; Stephens 2006)

Not evaluated. Due to a massive decline in population throughout North America, it may be nominated of future conservation efforts (ADW, 2012).

It has two generations in one summer. But unlike C. septempunctata there are no indications of overlap. The spring generation goes into diapause due to the increasing day length in summer and the summer generation goes into diapause due to decreasing day length in fall (Acorn, 2007).

At one time it had a wide range all over North America, including Mexico and Guatemala (its native habitat) (Crotch, 1874). But it was considered extirpate from much of eastern United States and Canada, until it was discovered in New York in 2011 (EOL, n.d.). It has continued survival in Alberta and Saskatchewan (Acorn, 2007).

4.0-7.0 mm long. A pale orange, rounded ladybug with nine black spots on the wing cover. Narrow black pigment where the wing cover meets, a feature that helps distinguish it from seven-spot ladybug (Acorn, 2007; Belicek, 1976). It also has spotless forms that can be confused with other spotless ladybugs. In that situation it is best to use the colouration and patterns on the head. It exhibits no sexual dimorphism (ADW, 2012).

Prefered young red pine stands that are not too dense, apple and peach orchids, cereal crops such as corn and oats and alfalfa fields before C. septempunctata was introduced and became widespread in the North American continent (Hodek, 1973). Their most predictable habitat now, may be, scruff pea plants along the edge of sand dunes, Purple Spring sand hills in Alberta and Burnstall dunes in Saskatchewan (Acorn, 2007).

Larvae hatch from an egg after approximately 4 days. Larvae has four instars, the first takes 22.6%, second takes 15.9%, third takes 18.5% and the fourth takes 42.9% of the total developmental time (Hodek & Honek, 1996). It takes the larvae four-five days to reach the third instar, after approximately seven more days it reaches the end of fourth instar. Just like C. septempunctata larvae stop feeding 24 hours before pupating. It spends four days pupating and then emerges as an adult and spends one full day strengthening and pigmenting its elytra. Not much is known about the mating habits of C.novemnotata, but they are speculated to be similar to those of C. septempunctata. It is known though that the adult takes two to four days to become sexually mature. Adults breed continuously for most of the summer until just before diapause (ADW, 2012).

Larvae in a lab experiment ate nymphal leafhoppers (Hodek & Honek, 1996). Adults are insectivore and have a wide diet of crop pests such as aphids, scale insects, mites, weevils and lepidopteron eggs (EOL, n.d.; ADW, 2012).

Wikispecies has information related to Coccinella novemnotata.

Coccinella novemnotata, the nine-spotted ladybug or nine-spotted lady beetle, is a species of ladybug native to North America.

The nine-spotted ladybug has been the state insect of New York since 1989, though its numbers have declined as the numbers of introduced species such as the seven-spotted ladybug and Asian lady beetle have increased. It was for some time thought extinct in New York, so in 2006, the state considered designating the pink spotted ladybug as state insect instead, but the bill did not pass the Senate. In 2006 the nine-spotted ladybug was rediscovered in Virginia (the first East Coast sighting in 14 years). In 2011, about 20 of these ladybugs were found on a farm in Amagansett, New York, the first such sighting in the state since 1982.