4.0-5.0 mm long. It is a round ladybug with reddish-orange elytra with three black bands. Middle and apical bands are interrupted and appear discontinuous (Acorn, 2007; Belicek, 1976).
Similar species: Beetles
By morpheme
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Uploaded Jul 20, 2017. Captured Jul 13, 2017 14:32 in Nordic Dr, Comox-Strathcona C, BC V0R, Canada.
comments (15)
https://bugguide.net/node/view/414905 Posted 6 years ago
1. If the main species doesn't yet exist on JD, then don't create a subspecies. It's okay to do so if it's a particularly rare species though. But, he says it's like "creating a child without a parent" in the system.
2. If the main species already exists on JD, do create the subspecies.
Hope that helps :) Posted 6 years ago, modified 6 years ago
"main" species is not really a valid taxonomic concept. If there is one subspecies there must also be at least another one (even if it is extinct). When a species is divided into 2 (or sometimes more) subspecies there is the higher taxonomic level simply known as species "genus species" and its lower taxonomic levels or subspecies which would be called "genus species subspecies one" and "genus species subspecies two". In the case of this ladybug, there are two subspecies one called perplexa and one called subversa. Posted 6 years ago
A good place to see what it is I am talking about is the species keys at the Flora of North America website. The key on the fern genus Woodsia has two species that illustrates this very well I think. Check out the descriptions of the species Woodsia scopulina which has three subspecies and Woodsia oregana which has two. There is a description of the species (higher level taxa) and descriptions of the subspecies (lower level taxa).
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200004236
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200004233 Posted 6 years ago, modified 6 years ago
I really appreciate your explanation, and you've helped me understand this in a different way!
I'll forward this conversation to Ferdy so he can add his thoughts when he returns from vacation. Posted 6 years ago
First want to explain the taxonomy aspect from a system perspective. Species records are placed in a 6 level taxonomy, as you already know. Species records are uniquely identified by their binomial name, this is the key of the record.
What this means: from a system perspective, JD has no level below species. You cannot go to the species level and then find related sub species as the system does not know sub species.
However, we can "simulate" them by naming. By naming, we can create A.B and A.C and as humans we will understand by their name that these are related. To the system, they are just different species because their name is unique.
So sub species naming is entirely by convention, whatever we agree on. Christine is right that I proposed a "main" species would make sense to have before a sub species.
Based on Gary's information, that doesn't look entirely right, so it should be possible to have a sub species record without a main species record.
That's no problem. The system allows for it. Posted 6 years ago