Transverse Lady Beetle
Coccinella transversoguttata
The Transverse Lady Beetle was once abundant across North America. Its decline began in the 1970s and now 50 years later the species is no longer seen in southern Ontario and the Maritimes. There are no further records of it on PEI after 1979. Further west and north, the Transverse Lady Beetle is still found within its range. This lady beetle was determined to be of Special Concern in Canada and in 2021 it was listed for conservation under Schedule 1 of the Species Risk Act.
Non-native lady beetles are thought to be the reason for the decline of the Transverse Lady Beetle, though direct cause and effect cannot be proven. It seems possible that introduced lady beetles, including the now abundant and widespread Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle, replaced the Transverse Lady Beetle through competition, predation of their eggs and larvae, or introduction of diseases.