Ashy Gray Lady Beetle

Ashy Gray Lady Beetle

Olla v-nigrum

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Mendoza

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

9 Verified sightings at Mendoza
79 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Ashy Gray Lady Beetle

Olla v-nigrum is a species in the family Coccinellidae ("lady beetles"), in the suborder Polyphaga. The species is known generally as the ashy gray lady beetle. The distribution range of Olla v-nigrum includes Central America, North America, and Oceania. It is usually gray or pale tan with small black spots on its elytra and thorax. However, a variation can resemble Chilocorus orbus, another species of lady beetle. This form is black with two red spots on the wing covers and has white on the edge of the prothorax.

The V in its name (v-nigrum) comes from the fact that Mulsant originally described the "prothorax" (pronotum) as "adorned with a V and four black dots". Olla v-nigrum has two color variants: gray with black spots or black with red spots. They are usually anywhere between 3.7 to 6.1 mm (0.15 to 0.24 in) in length. Olla v-nigrum is often confused with Chilocorus sp. which usually have more flared elytra and a distinct shape. They do not have white marking on their heads like Olla v-nigrum. Olla v-nigrum spots tend to be triangular and slope away from where the wings meet.

Olla v-nigrum lack an infundibulum in female genitalia. Olla v... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
3 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
4 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mendoza 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
2 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
~10%
3 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
6 Montevideo 🇺🇾 Uruguay
~10%
7 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
8 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Belo Horizonte 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
10 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Ashy Gray Lady Beetle in Mendoza?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Ashy Gray Lady Beetle sighting in Mendoza on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 24th most-seen of the 47 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Ashy Gray Lady Beetle in Mendoza?

September and December

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Ashy Gray Lady Beetle in Mendoza on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and May–August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see an Ashy Gray Lady Beetle?

Between 9 pm and midnight

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ashy Gray Lady Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Mendoza the best place to see an Ashy Gray Lady Beetle?

Yes

Of the 33 cities where we can rate Ashy Gray Lady Beetle sightings, Mendoza has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Monterrey (México, about 10%) and Mesa (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Ashy Gray Lady Beetle live in Mendoza?

Same family: Coccinellidae

The closest relatives of the Ashy Gray Lady Beetle that you can see in Mendoza (family Coccinellidae, Lady Beetles) are Asian Lady Beetle (about 40%), Variegated Lady Beetle (about 30%) and Eriopis connexa (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Ashy Gray Lady Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ashy Gray Lady Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Mendoza (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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