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Female Hibiscus Harlequin Bug with Eggs
Tectocoris diophthalmus
-21.1611, 149.157
Field Notes
Description:
Females are orange with small patches of metallic blue scatter over their body. Males are red with metallic blue patches. Their patterns can be quite different between individuals. Males are smaller than the females in size. Their scutellum completely covers the whole abdomen and wings.
Habitat:
Female bug lays eggs and sticks them around stem during early summer. Maternal care is common in stink bug families. Cotton Harlequin Bug is well know for maternal care.
The bugs feed on plants of MALVACEAE includes hibiscus and cotton. The bugs, adults and nymphs, suck sap from host plants. They feed mostly on young shoots, piercing the stems and sucking the sugar-rich juices intended for shoot growth. As their common name implies, they also attack cotton. They are the minor pest of cotton, feeding on young shoots and bolls.
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