Painted lady beetle

Description

Mulsantina picta (the painted lady beetle or pine lady beetle) is a species of ladybug belonging to the subfamily Coccinellinae. Mulsantina picta is a small ladybug, typically 3.3-5.3 millimetres (0.13-0.21 in) long, and 2.2-4.0 millimetres (0.087-0.157 in) wide. The elytral markings are quite variable, and sometimes absent. The pronotal markings are more constant and recognizable. Mulsantina picta is widespread across the United States and southern Canada. It is especially associated with pine forests and is an aphid and adelgid predator. Thus making M. picta a rather dominant species in older pine trees habitats (since they are conifer specialist), which are known to have low aphid densities. Mulsantina is a genus of ladybugs (family Coccinellidae), found in North and Central America and in the Caribbean (Haiti). The genus was named by entomologist Julius Weise after Étienne Mulsant, who in 1846 and 1850 published monographs that were very important to the development of modern coccinellid taxonomy. Mulsant had previously named this genus Cleis, but as this name was found to be already in use, Weise renamed it in Mulsant's honor.