First records of both subspecies of Brachiacantha quadripunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Mississippi, U.S.A.

Abstract

The first records of the lady beetles Brachiacantha quadripunctata quadripunctata (Melsheimer) and B. quadripunctata flavifrons Mulsant from Mississippi and their occurrence in sympatry are reported following a review of previously collected material. The new records also extend the known geographic distribution of B. quadripunctata quadripunctata and B. quadripunctata flavifrons about 150 km, respectively, southward and westward. Our findings support the argument that ongoing curation and periodic review of collections is critical for maintaining accurate regional faunal lists, in developing hypotheses about the geographic distributions of species, and to track changes in both through time.