The following is a list of lady beetle species known from Alaska (as of May 2023), based on specimen data and literature records cataloged by the University of Alaska Museum of the North Entomology Collection (available through the Arctos database). The species are organized by subfamily, and when available I added the species' common name in quotations.

FAMILY COCCINELLIDAE (“Lady beetles”)

Subfamily Chilocorinae
Brumoides septentrionis
Chilocorus stigma – “Twice-stabbed lady beetle”

Subfamily Coccidulinae
Coccidula lepida – “Snow lady beetle”

Subfamily Coccinellidae
Adalia bipunctata – “Two-spotted lady beetle”
Anatis mali – “Eye-spotted lady beetle”
Anisosticta bitriangularis – “Marsh lady beetle”
Anisosticta borealis
Calvia quatuordecimguttata – “Cream-spotted lady beetle”
Ceratomegilla ulkei
Coccinella californica – “California lady beetle”
Coccinella fulgida – “Gleaming lady beetle”
Coccinella hieroglyphica – “Hieroglyphic lady beetle”
Coccinella johnsoni (considered by some to be a subspecies of C. californica)
Coccinella monticola – “Mountain lady beetle”
Coccinella transversoguttata – “Transverse lady beetle”
Coccinella trifasciata – “Three-banded lady beetle”
Hippodamia americana – “American lady beetle”
Hippodamia arctica
Hippodamia expurgata – “Expurgate lady beetle”
Hippodamia falcigera – “Sickle-marked lady beetle”
Hippodamia parenthesis – “Parenthesis lady beetle”
Hippodamia quinquesignata – “Five-spotted lady beetle”
Hippodamia sinuata – “Sinuate lady beetle”
Hippodamia washingtoni - “Washington’s lady beetle” – please collect this species if you see it and send to the University of Alaska Museum, this species has been identified on iNaturalist however no specimens have yet been included in the statewide insect collection at UAM. Information on submitting specimens can be found here: https://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/ento/donations/
Hippodamia tredecimpunctata – “Thirteen-spotted lady beetle”
Macronaemia episcopalis – “Episcopal lady beetle”
Mulsantina hudsonica – “Hudsonian lady beetle”
Myzia pullata – “Streaked lady beetle”
Psyllobora vigintimaculata – “Twenty-spotted lady beetle”

Subfamily Scymninae
Didion punctatum
Nephus georgei – “George’s lady beetle”
Nephus ornatus – “Ornate lady beetle”

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NON-NATIVE SPECIES (may be found in the state but arrived through human introduction):
Coccinella septempunctata - "Seven-spotted lady beetle", introduced to North America from Europe, considered invasive in some states/provinces due to competition with key native species resulting in reduction of native lady beetle populations
Hippodamia convergens - "Convergent lady beetle", introduced in Alaska but native farther south in North America where it is wild-collected and sold commercially. It is unclear whether this species is established in Alaska, but even without establishment there are risks posed by continuing to introduce these lady beetles. The Xerces society has an article that describes some of the the risks of releasing these commercially collected beetles even in areas where the species is native: https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/2018-07/18-018_01Xerces%20Soceity%20Lady%20beelte%20Release%20Statement.pdf

Posted on May 30, 2023 07:15 PM by awenninger