About Naemia seriata (Melsheimer, 1847)
Naemia seriata, commonly known as the seaside lady beetle, is a large species of lady beetle in the family Coccinellidae. It is native to North America, and it is the only species that belongs to the genus Naemia. This beetle occurs in coastal habitats including beaches, salt marshes, and bay islands along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America. Its body color can be light brown, yellow, orange, or red, marked with large black spots that are often connected along the lateral edges of the elytra. Its pronotum usually has a single large black spot at its center; this spot is occasionally split into two separate spots. The body of Naemia seriata is shaped like an elongate oval, and adults measure between 4 and 6.7 millimeters in length. The species is divided into two subspecies, which can be told apart by markings on the head: the head of N. seriata seriata is entirely black, while the head of N. seriata litigiosa has a pale triangular marking. N. seriata seriata is mainly distributed across eastern North America, while N. seriata litigiosa is limited to the American Southwest. The seaside lady beetle can be easily confused with the far more widespread spotted pink ladybeetle, Coleomegilla maculata, which is not restricted to coastal habitats. In Naemia seriata, the apical pair of spots on the elytra and the markings on the pronotum are merged, while these markings are distinctly separate in Coleomegilla maculata.
