Bug FAQKidney-spotted Fairy Lady Beetle
Psyllobora renifer · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Coccinellidae
Also called: Kidney-spotted Psyllobora
Adults are tiny, only about 1.8 to 2.4 mm long. The beetle’s back shows dark kidney-shaped spots that merge into larger patches, with lighter spots on the pronotum. It lives in Central and North America and feeds mainly on powdery mildew.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The elytra have dark kidney-shaped splotches that blend together, while the pronotum has lighter spots.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 1.75 to 2.4 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found throughout Central America and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Its primary food source is powdery mildew.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It belongs to the lady beetle family Coccinellidae, genus Psyllobora.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes Central America and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Unlike other Psyllobora species, its elytral spots are more connected, forming larger patches.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nevada, Kansas, Oregon.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the Kidney-spotted Fairy Lady Beetle eat?
It mainly feeds on powdery mildew.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Coccinellidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllobora_renifer
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.