Brachiacantha felina © Mike Quinn, TexasEnto.net
Brachiacantha felina © Mike Quinn, TexasEnto.net
Brachiacantha felina © Mike Quinn, TexasEnto.net
Brachiacantha felina is native to North America. It is generally black with large red or yellow spots.
Status
Native
This species does not have a status ranking in the United States or in Canada. Very little is known about it.
Last Seen
2017
Fun Fact
Brachiacantha felina has a synonym species: Brachiacantha rotunda (Gordon, 1985).
Identification
This beetle matures to be 2.2 to 3.2 mm in length, and is round in overall shape.
- Black beetle overall. Each elytron has 5 large yellow to orange spots. The surface of the elytra are lightly punctured, punctures separated from each other by a distance that is roughly the diameter of the punctures themselves.
- Yellow head.
- Light orange to brown legs.
- Male: black pronotum, with yellow patches on the anterolateral angles (front, outer corners of the pronotum), which are connected by a yellow margin on the front of the pronotum. The yellow margin extends into the black portion of the pronotum.
- Female: Black pronotum, yellow anterolateral angles of the pronotum may be connected by a narrow yellow margin that does not extend into the black patch. Anterolateral angles frequently not connected and may have some black on the posterior side of the head.
- Often confused with other species in the Brachiacantha genus.
Habitat
Seems to be an edge species–most commonly associated with forests but occasionally found on some grasses and legumes.
General Range
Eastern and midwestern United States, north from Massachusetts to Minnesota, south from North Carolina to Oklahoma.
Food
Likely aphids.
Life History
B. felina can be found from the beginning of April to the end of November. One study noted that they seem to occur in the greatest numbers in May and possibly towards the end of the season, before hibernation, as well. Larvae may be associated with ants like others in the Brachiacantha, but this is not confirmed. Very little is known about this species.
More Information
You can find more information about Brachiacantha felina using the following links:
Vermont Distribution
Visit the iNaturalist Observation Map and Occurrence Records to find out where Brachiacantha felina have been seen in Vermont.
