| Brachiacantha tau | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Coccinellidae |
| Genus: | Brachiacantha |
| Species: | B. tau |
| Binomial name | |
| Brachiacantha tau LeConte, 1859 | |
Brachiacantha tau, the t-marked larkspur lady beetle, is a species of lady beetle in the family Coccinellidae. In the Brachiacantha genus, the oval-shaped shiny beetles are usually about 2-3 mm in length. The larvae are not usually encountered because they feed on scale insects within ant colonies. Adults are sometimes found on flowers or hunting within foliage in North America. [1] [2] [3] [4] It has been recorded from Kansas, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. [5]