Scymnus fraternus © Guy Hanley
Scymnus fraternus © Tom Murray
Scymnus fraternus is native to North America. This species is primarily dark brown with some reddish-brown markings.
Status
Native
Ranked as Imperiled in Ontario. Scymnus fraternus is not ranked in the United States.
Last Seen
1973
Fun Fact
Scymnus fraternus‘s pattern can vary between individuals.
Identification
Roughly 2 to 2.5 mm in length – no exact length description of Scymnus fraternus was found, length range was pulled from the photo records on Bug Guide.
- Head: Dark brown, with a black margin above the eyes.
- Pronotum: Black with a chestnut to dark brown margin that extends across the front and wraps entirely around the sides of the pronotum. This margin can be thick, covering roughly half of the surface area of the pronotum, or it can be thin and barely visible.
- Elytra: Black overall. The elytra have two chestnut to dark brown spots at the posterior tips (one per elytron). The patches can be thin, only appearing along the elytral margins, or they can appear as large patches.
- The pronotum and elytra are covered in pale hairs and are punctured.
- Legs: Orangish-brown.
- Underside: Dark, except for the underside of the head and the tip of the abdomen.
- Often confused with: Pine Dusky Lady Beetle, Tiny Lady Beetle.
Habitat
Likely arboreal. Has been found on flowers in gardens.
General Range
North to South Dakota through southern Maine, east to the coast, south to Louisiana and central Florida. West to Iowa and Missouri. One record in Texas.
Food
Likely aphids, mites, and scale insects.
Life History
Unknown.
More Information
You can find more information about Scymnus fraternus using the following links:
Vermont Distribution
Visit the iNaturalist Observation Map and Occurrence Records to find out where Scymnus fraternus has been seen in Vermont.
