Morphs and forms

Anatis ocellata exhibits considerable aberrative variability (polymorphism) in the pattern of its elytra. This variability primarily concerns the number, size and arrangement of the spots, as well as the ground colour of the elytra. The main morphs and forms include:

•  
• Nominotypical form (typica) (Fig. 03 - 06, 10 - 12)
  The typical colouration consists of red to reddish-brown elytra with 15–18 black spots, which are usually bordered by light, cream to orange-coloured rings.
• Form hebraea (Fig. 01 - 02, 17)
  A rare morph in which the spots are fused into longitudinal dark lines. In this form, the black spots bleed and merge longitudinally or transversely into irregular stripes or mottled patterns.
• Concolor form (Fig. 14 - 16)
  Individuals completely lacking black dots; specimens without dot centres, but only with disrupted halos.
• Form with reduced light marginalisation (Fig. 07 - 09)
  Black spots without distinct light margins
• Brown form
  Specimens with a brown background have been described from Canada (Alberta) as a variant with a brown background instead of a red one.

© Callot, Wagner
01

© Kollár, Bakay
02

© Christoph Benisch
03

© René Köhler
04

© Christine Neumann
05

© Arp Kruithof
06

© Jochen Schwarz
07

© Frank Schnerrer
08

© Arp Kruithof
09

© Ingrid Altmann
10

© René Köhler
11

© Ingrid Altmann
12

© Ingrid Altmann
13

© Jochen Schwarz
14

© Volkmar Wagner
15

© Marek Kozlowski
16

© Dieter Gschwend
17

Sources

• Benisch, C. (2023): kerbtier.de – Beetle Fauna of Germany. – https://www.kerbtier.de/enindex.html (24.10.2026)
• Callot H. & Wagner A.: Présence en France (Alsace) de la très rare variété mélanique hebraea d'Anatis ocellata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae). Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire naturelle et d'Ethnographie de Colmar, 2022, 78 (7) : 83
• Ivo Hodek, H. F. van Emden, Alois Honěk: Ecology and behaviour of the ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae), John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2012, ISBN: 978-1-4051-8422-9
• Kollár J & Bakay L,: Rare variety of eyed ladybird Anatis ocellata (Linnaeus, 1758) v. hebraea (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) found in Slovakia. Folia faunistica Slovaca, 2016, 21 (1): 99–101