# Twenty-spotted Lady Beetle

*Psyllobora vigintimaculata*

Unlike most of its predatory ladybug cousins that devour aphids, this species is a dedicated vegetarian that eats only plant-damaging mildew.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Coccinellidae › Psyllobora
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous forests, meadows, gardens, and agricultural fields where powdery mildew is present.
- **Diet:** Fungivorous, feeding exclusively on powdery mildew fungi on the surfaces of leaves.
- **Range:** North America
- **Size:** 1.5 to 3.0 mm
- **Lifespan:** Up to 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Widespread chemical pesticide application and loss of diverse edge habitats.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. You can safely observe or gently hold this tiny beetle. It does not bite or sting humans, though it may release a yellow, bitter fluid (reflex bleeding) from its joints if stressed. Wash hands after handling.

## About

Psyllobora vigintimaculata , the twenty-spotted lady beetle , is a species of lady beetle in the family Coccinellidae. It is found in North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/83190b74-dc57-4a91-ae11-620f730cbdc7
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/118967
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllobora vigintimaculata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/153558392/medium.jpeg (cgmayers, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.