About Ceratomegilla undecimnotata (Schneider, 1792)
Ceratomegilla undecimnotata (Schneider, 1792) reaches a body length of about 5–7 millimetres, or 0.20–0.28 inches. It has an elongated body. Its elytra are orange-red, while its pronotum is black; the pronotum sometimes has a small white line along its front edge. The elytra bear one central black spot and 10 lateral black spots, giving the species a total of eleven spots. This total of eleven spots is the source of the species Latin name undecimnotata, though some spots are sometimes small and barely visible. This species can be confused with Coccinella septempunctata, but it differs by being smaller, having a more oval body shape, and having a central spot above the pronotum that is more triangular than round, with no white surrounding the spot. Adult individuals of this species can be found from March through October. They feed mainly on aphids. This quite rare species is distributed across central and southern Europe. It inhabits open, sunny environments, including sunny forest edges, meadows, herbaceous areas, and dry grasslands.
