Nymphs of Green Shield Backed Bug: Coleotichus costatus

Nymphs of Green Shield Backed Bug sitting on Red-Eyed Wattle. Note the seeds and the seed pods.

Nymphs of Green Shield Backed Bug with the Red-Eyed Wattle pods.

Location: Bunbury

Season: Early Summer 

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Heteroptera 

Infraorder: Pentatomomorpha 

Superfamily: Pentatomoidea 

Family: Scutelleridae

Coleotichus costatus

These colourful nymphs were found on Red-Eyed Wattle (Acacia cyclops).

Relationship between Red-Eyed Wattle and Green Shield Backed Bug
Red-Eyed Wattle has dry twisted pods within which lie glossy black seeds encircled by two folds of a large orange to bright red fleshy stalk-like structure. The black seed looks like an eye and the surrounding orange-red aril looks like a stalk, giving it the name Red-Eyed Acacia and the botanical name cyclops (stalk eyed).The seeds attract ants and birds. Birds like Honey-eaters and Wattle Birds feed on the seed, digesting the red aril and excreting the black seed which helps in dispersion of the seed and propagation of the plant. The interaction with ants is one of the most important mutualistic mechanisms for seed dispersal. Ants carry the seed with the encircling aril into their underground nests. The aril is nutritious but the ant cannot pierce the hard seed. The seeds are cast away, sometimes burst out of the nests during bush fires, helping the dispersal of the seed and propagation of the plant. This process is called Myrmecochory.

Red-Eyed Wattle is one of the known host plants for Green Shield Backed Bug. The nymphs and adults feed on the plant. Their piercing mouth parts are strong enough to penetrate the hard seed. The nymphs of the Green Shield Backed Bug resemble the seed and almost indistinguishable from the seeds unless examined closely. This a mimicry model. The insect nymph is at risk of predation from birds due to its bright colour. This has probably been exploited by the plant which mimics the insect to get the attention of birds for seed dispersal. Hence, the nymph may be the model and the seed may be the mimic.

The bugs have evolved to protect themselves. In order to deter the predators, these shield bugs emit toxic alkaloids. These alkaloids can be emitted when the bug is handled by humans as well. These chemicals are also responsible to the 'stinkiness' of the stink bug. They also have strength in numbers. They line up resembling a longer insect (like a caterpillar) to confuse the predators. The adult has the colouring of the seed pod. It camouflages itself from the predators, contrary to the nymphs which stand out.


Description of Green Shield Backed Bug

Life Cycle of Coleotichus costatus

Top left: Eggs hatched

Top right: Early instar nymphs

Bottom left: 4 or 5th instar nymph

Bottom centre: ecdysis nymph to an adult

Bottom right: adult nymph

Eggs: These hatched eggs are typical of hemiptera eggs. They have pearlescent shine and a neatly cut circular cap from which the nymph has emerged. It was found on the pod of the Red-Eyed Wattle.
Early Instar nymphs: These are tiny, about 2 cms in length. They closely resemble the red eyed wattle seeds. They have dark dark centre with an encircling red pattern. They are highly iridescent.
4 to 5th Instar nymphs: (given the progression of the wing bud and the 3 segment antennae). These nymphs are 2 - 3 cms in length, much bigger than the seed. They have a red and green iridescent pattern.
Just hatched adult: Immdediately after ecdysis, the adult is pink in colour. It has a smooth body and doesn't use its wings. It was noticed that the adult crawled out of the shell, rather than flying out. As they grow, the colour of the adult body changes. The pink gradually becomes brown. It develops green metallic patches on the body which shine with the light. The colour is very similar to the seed pod of the red-eyed wattle, offering it camouflage and protection from predators. The adults are shy, slow moving and were not seen flying at all.
The adults have a simple eye, one red dot above each of the compound eyes.

The family Scutelleridae is a family of Jewel Shield Bugs. Most Shield Bugs of this family have bright colours and metallic sheen making them one of the most attractive bugs of the Hemipterans. The famous Cotton Harlequin Bug belongs to this family. It is only found in East Coast of Australia. The West Coast has Red Jewel Bug which has different markings on the abdomen than the Green Backed Jewel Bug. 

These Shield Bugs are True Bugs. They often confused with beetles (Coleoptera), which are essentially very different to the Hemipterans. A few general features of Hemiptera can be seen here.

Different stages of the Coleotichus costatus showing the Red Eyed Wattle seeds and seed pods.

Fully grown adult

Ecdysis, 5th instar nymph and adult

exoskeleton after ecdysis

References:

Jewel Bugs of Australia

Red-Eyed Wattle

Weeds: QLD govt.
Myrmechocory

Black Faced Percher: Diplacodes melanopsis

Location: seasonal swamp, still water,

Bunbury, Western Australia

Season: Spring/Summer

Class: Insecta 

Order: Odonata 

Family: Libellulidae 

Genus: Diplacodes

Diplacodes melanopsis

Black Faced Percher is a medium sized dragonfly measuring about 5 cms in length. It has a bright scarlet red body. The eyes, head and the thorax are dark red to black, hence the name Black Faced Percher. The abdomen has black markings on each segment on the bright red background. It can be (easily) distinguished from the other red coloured dragonflies, the Scarlet Percher and Wandering Percher by the markings on the abdomen. While the Black Faced Percher has dark (heart shaped) markings on each abdominal segments, the Wandering Percher has smaller less prominent markings and the Scarlet Percher has no markings at all. The Black Faced Percher, of course, has a black head and thorax which are red in the other two.

This Black Faced Percher's perching pattern is parallel to the long grass but perpendicular to ground. The Scarlet Perchers perch mostly parallel to the ground. One other difference is the wings of the Scarlet Percher has red patch at the base of the hind wings. The Black Faced Percher has clear wings with black pterostigma and a small area of red patch very close to the border of both hind and the fore wings.

Reference: Brisbane Insects

Sacrlet Percher: Diplacodes haematodes

Class: Insecta 

Order: Odonata 

Family: Libellulidae 

Genus: Diplacodes

Diplacodes haematodes

Scarlet Percher is a completely red coloured dragonfly with bright red eyes, head, thorax and abdomen. The abdomen lacks markings which distinguishes it from other red dragonflies, the Black Faced Percher and the Wandering percher. The wings are clear with red patch at the base of hind wings, red costa and red pterostigma. The above is a picture of a male. The females are paler red to yellow in colour. The female has black marking on the abdomen. There is a yellowish brown coloration to the wing tips of the female.

The Scarlet Perchers tend to perch parallel to the ground around water bodies, appearing to sun themselves. They often compete with each other and with much larger Blue Skimmers for perching spots.

Tick Tock Cicada: Physeema quadricincta

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha 

Infraorder: Cicadomorpha 

Superfamily: Cicadoidea

Physeema quadricincta

(previously known as Cicadetta quadricincta)

Tick Tock Cicada is the most common cicada seen (mostly heard) around Bunbury during early summer. These cicadas have a classic calling song which is soft clicking, more clip-clop than tick-tock. They are mostly found in low lying grasses of the heath. They are as big as a bee in size, much smaller than the other common Red Bandit Cicada. With some perseverance they are easy to spot if the call is followed. They tend to have a weak flight when disturbed. They more or less jump to the nearest grass straw. They don't look particularly remarkable at the first sight but when the sunlight hits, they dazzle. The black body has olive green to yellow pattern on it, that shimmers with a golden shine. The abdomen has paler rings. The wings are clear with a brown costa. The underside is pale green. This species is endemic to the South West of Western Australia. 

References: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2012/f/zt03287p262.pdf

http://dr-pop.net/quadricincta-238.htm

Black And White Tiger Moth: Spilosoma glatignyi

Macro image of caterpillar 

Caterpillar

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera 

Family: Arctiidae 

Ardices glatignyi

(Formerly Spilosoma glatignyi)

This Black And White Tiger Moth is an Australian moth that is easily identified by the black/brown pattern in white wings. The abdomen has black and orange horizontal stripes. Thorax is covered in white hairs. It has black eyes with variable orange pattern on the head. 

The above photos were taken during different times. The first photo was in Summer 2014. The second and the third photos were taken in Autumn 2015 which show the eggs laid by the female. The caterpillars (at a late instar phase) are black and orange. They are very hairy. The mandibles and thoracic legs are bright red. I have seen the caterpilars voraciously feed on African Daisy.

Reference:

butterflyhouse.com.au

Angled Satin Moth: Thalaina angulosa

Angled Satin Moth, Underside

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera: 

Family: Geometridae

Thalaina angulosa

This beautiful moth was attracted to my kitchen window light on an autumn evening. This moth has satin-like white wings. The forewing has a stark orange line pattern on it. The orange lines have a black margin, making the pattern stand out on the white background. The hindwing is mostly white with a black wavy patch on it.
The pattern of the orange line is specific to this moth. It can be easily confused with Thalania clara. The orange line of T. angulosa runs from almost parallel to the margin of the forewing (base to the centre of the margin) T. clara can be seen here 

Reference: butterflyhouse.com.au/

Heliotrope Moth: Utetheisa pulchelloides

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera 

Family: Arctiidae 

Subfamily: Arctiinae 

Utetheisa pulchelloides

This pretty moth was my nighttime kitchen window visitor on a fine spring evening. This moth is small with a wingspan of about 4 cms. It has white wings with beautiful orange and black spots. The costal margin of the forewing has a broken orange line, the fringe has dark spots. The underside of the moth also has black and orange pattern. 

Reference: butterflyhouse.com.au

Trichoplusia lectula

Location: Bunbury

Season Winter

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera 

Family: Noctuidae 

Trichoplusia lectula

This unglamourous drab moth was found on our window one sunny afternoon. This moth has dark brown forewings and pale hind wings. When the moth rests, the folded forewings have a pattern resembling horns. It looks like the moth has horns on its back. There is a cream line from the base to the edge of the forewing. 

Reference: Butterflyhouse.com.au

Bird Of Paradise Fly: Callipappus farinosus

Male Bird Of Paradise Fly

Male Bird Of Paradise Fly

Many Male Bird Of Paradise Flies mating with a female.

Location: Bunbury

Season:  May/Autumn

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Sternorrhyncha 

Superfamily: Coccoidea 

Family: Callipappidae

Callipappus farinosus

A group of these Bird Of Paradise Flies were found in a bushland with predominantly Tuart and Banksia trees in a suburban bike route called Tuart Forest Walk in Bunbury. These 'flies' are not real flies (not Diptera) but they belong to the soft mealy bug/scale insect family. They were initially classified into the family Margarodidae (Ground Pearls) but later placed under Callipappidae.

The very distinct looking male has one pair of milky white wings with a dark reddish purple margin. It has a comet like fibrous tail (like most mealy bugs). It has a whitish powdery substance covering its body. It is rather a pretty looking insect. The female, however, is larger than the male and has a flat segmented body. She is wingless and hence flightless, she ambulates with her short (3 pairs) of legs. In spite of being winged, the group of males did not fly during the time I observed them. Some of them were attached to the female body trying to mate, while others were walking away from her. 

From my references, I gather that after mating, the female develops the eggs in her body and hatches the nymphs. Soon after she dies. The nymphs develop underground and emerge as adults. Adults feed on the sap of Banksia and similar trees.

Reference:

Brisbane Insects

Wikipedia

Green Peach Aphid: Myzus persicae

Location: Bunbury

Season: Winter

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Family: Aphididae

Myzus persicae

Aphids devastate crops but they are fascinating insects with intricate anatomy and a graceful flight. The above is a winged Green Peach Aphid that I found resting on Purple Pea Bush on a sunny winter afternoon. It was hopping from place to place and hopped onto my finger. With a sluggish movement, it rested on my hand for a minute or so and them took off in a flight so sluggish that every step of its flight was easily witnessed.

This insect is yellow in colour with a prominent black area on the dorsum of the mid abdominal segments from 3 to 6. There are laterally placed black bars on the other segments. The limbs, antennae and the head are all dark. The eyes are red. The genus Myzus is identified by convergent antennal tubercles and lack of clavate sipunchuli. 

Green Peach Aphid can affect a wide variety dicotyledon plants including agricultural crops such as potato and peach. Like other aphids they are vectors of various viral diseases of plants. As with aphids in general, in warmer weather they reproduce asexually producing about 12 generations in a year. In colder weather, they reproduce sexually laying eggs on various plants on which the hatched nymphs feed.

Ladybirds, Lacewings are natural predators that are used in biological control of these aphids. 

References:

Aphid ID key

Influential Points

Wikipedia

Melaleuca Psyllid: Boreioglycaspis melaleucae

Loation: Bunbury
Season: Late Summer
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Psyllidae
Boreioglycaspis melaleucae

Melaleuca trees, commonly called Paperbarks, are native to Australia. Melaleuca Psyllid is a jumping plant louse that sucks the sap of the Melaleuca plant and destroys plant. Melaleuca is an introduced species in USA, especially in South Florida. It is an aggressive invader that displaces native vegetation. Melaleuca Psyllid is jumping plant louse that is introduced as a biological control of the invasive Melaleuca plant.

The above psyllid was found in my veggie garden which has a backdrop of a gum tree wooded area. This tiny psyllid is yellow in colour with black markings on its head, thorax and abdomen. There are a pair of red Genae protrude from underneath the eyes which resembles a tongue (on my hand, it looks like it is licking my skin!). The eyes are pale green with a conspicuous black dot. There is a Y shaped black mark on the head extending to the thorax. The wings are transparent with a thin yellow margin. The abdomen has horizontal black stripes. it is triangular in males ending with genitalia. The female, as seen above has a rounded abdomen.

The psyllid was not very active and readily jumped on my hand and stayed there for the whole photo shoot. It flew away after sometime.

References:

Ozanimals

University of Florida

Penthimiin Leafhopper: Neovulturnus

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha 

Infraorder: Cicadomorpha 

Superfamily: Membracoidea 

Family: Cicadellidae 

Subfamily Penthimiinae

Neovulturnus 

Also known as Enamel Leafhopper, this Penthimiin Leafhopper has a filigree pattern on its rounded shield-like body. The flat head has two laterally placed eyes. The wings are short and when I observed it, it hopped rather than flew. It barely moved and was easily photographable. 

Like all leafhopppers, this Enamel Leafhopper has a tent shaped wings. It is regarded as an agricultural pest. It attacks crops, hence of economic significance. It directly feed on the leaves and plants. More importantly it is a vector and transmitter of various viruses which infect the plants and destroy them.

Edit: 22/2/2019 This leafhopper belongs to genus Neovulturunus, undeacribed species in Western Australia. Thanks to Dr Melinda Moir for clarification. 

Common Brown Leafhopper: Orosius orientalis

Nymph of common brown leafhopper

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha 

Infraorder: Cicadomorpha 

Superfamily: Membracoidea 

Family: Cicadellidae 

Subfamily: Deltocephalinae 

Tribe: Opsiini

Orosius orientalis

Common Brown Leafhopper is a tiny leafhopper measuring about 2 -3 mm in length. It has a pale brown colour with remarkable lace like pattern on its wings. The eyes have a horizontal orange stripe with a dot in the centre. The leafhopper hops short distances and capable of flight as well. 

A group on these leafhoppers were seen in my kitchen garden feeding on spinach leaves. 

Common Brown Leafhoppers are pests which attack crops, hence of economic significance. They directly feed on the leaves and plants. More importantly they are vectors and transmitters of various viruses which infect the plants and destroy them.

Reference:

Key to identification of Australian Leafhoppers by NSW Gov

Australian Painted Lady: Vanessa (Cynthia) kershawi

Location: Leschenault, Western Australia

Season: late autumn

Order: Lepidoptera 

Family: Nymphalidae 

Tribe: Nymphalini 

Genus: Vanessa 

Subgenus: Cynthia 

Vanessa (Cynthia) kershawi

Genus Vanessa, which has 20 species worldwide, three of which occur in Australia, the Australian Painted Lady V. kershawi, the Painted Lady V. cardui and the Yellow Admiral. The Australian Painted Lady and the Painted Lady are very similar but different classified as two separate species. There are 10 differences in the wing pattern alone. Among the distinguishing features of Australian Painted Lady, here are a few (as seen in above picture)
-has a darker overall colour with orange-brown markings
-there are 3 ocelli (eye spots) in the hind wing with blue pupil
-black apex of the hind wing merges with the 4th eye spot
-the black apex of the forewing has 4 white spots
-white bar running down the costa
-black antenna with white tips

V. kershawi prefers an arid environment which is stressful for the butterfly. This stress induces a colour modification which makes V. kershawi phenotypically different from V. cardui making it a separate species. When pupae of V.cardui were subjected to similar stresses, the emerging adults showed darker colour and blue eye spots. This phenotypical plasticity is said to be responsible for the evolution of the species V. kershawi.

References:
lepidoptera
wikipedia
pubmed
learnaboutbutterflies

Common Brown Butterfly: Heteronympha merope

Underside of the wing of Common Brown Butterfly

Common Brown Butterfly

Location: Margaret River, Western Australia

Season: Summer, December

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera 

Family: Nymphalidae 

Genus: Heteronympha 

Species: H. merope

Common Brown Butterfly is common in the Southern half of Australia. It is an orangish brown butterfly with brownish black markings. The males are less colourful and have less white markings than the female. Both sexes have an eye-spot on each of the four wings.

Common Brown butterfly is of ecological significance and an indicator of climate change. The butterfly is appearing earlier each year (10 days earlier than it did 65 years ago). It is now seen in new regions which was previously too cold for it to survive

Reference: Climate watch

Australian Geographic

Common Gum Tree Shield Bug: Poecilometis patruelis

Adult Common Gum Tree Shield Bug
the red colour is because it has just moulted. The body darkens gradually.

Location: Bunbury

Season: Summer, December/January

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Heteroptera 

Infraorder: Pentatomomorpha 

Superfamily: Pentatomoidea

Family: Pentatomidae

Tribe: Halyini

Poecilometis patruelis 

(Eumecopus patruelis)

All the stages of this Shield Bug were taken from my garden (which has a backdrop of bush with lots of gum trees). Identification of this Shield bug has been quite an interesting process. There are many genera and species of Shield Bugs that live on Gum Trees in Australia and they share many morphological similarities. Brisbane Insects has been a great resource for identification which mentions Mullerian Mimicry Complex. They mimic each others' features in order to ward off a common predator. Similar Shield Bugs are Gum Tree Shield Bug (Theseus modestus), Two-dots Shield Bug (Poecilometis monteithi), Brown Shield Bug (Poecilometis Sp.). They are identified based on wing venations, segments of antennae and placement of mouth parts. Common Gum Tree Shield Bug is the commonest in the region, hence the identification.

Egg shells 

2nd or 3rd Instar Nymph

3rd or 4th Instar Nymph

Adult Common Gum Tree Shield Bug

General Features of Family Pentatomidae:

1. Pentatomidae: Greek for 5 sections referring to the body shape which has 5 parts (Pronatum, Scutellum, 2 pairs of wings and membranous area at the tip). They have a hardened scutellum, resembling a shield, hence the name Shield Bug.

2. They have glands that release foul smelling substances to avert predators.

3. Segemented Antennae (4 to 5 segements).

4. Piercing mouth parts, even in the nymphs.

5. Wings: They belong to suborder Heteroptera (Greek for different wings)

The fore wings are known as hemelytra. The base of each wing is hardened. The tips of the fore wing and hind wings are thin. 

6. The eggs hatch into Nymphs which moult to lose the exoskeleton in 5 different stages. They are referred to as Instars. The nymphs have sucking mouth parts. They don't have wings, hence flightless.

Tiny Bee Fly: Villa Sp

Location: Bunbury, Western Australia

Season: Summer, December 

Order: Diptera 

Suborder: Brachycera 

Infraorder: Asilomorpha 

Superfamily: Asiloidea 

Family: Bombyliidae 

Subfamily: Anthracinae 

Tribe: Villini 

Subfamily: Exoprosopinae 

Genus: Villa

This is a very tiny Bee Fly measuring about 1 to 2 cms in length. It is bright golden in colour. This was seen perching on dry vegetation and dry sand. The other Bee Fly was fighting for the perching spot. It belongs to the genus Villa. The wings are clear with no black shading or line on the coastal margin. The abdominal bandings are golden and black. Again, hard to pin point the species.
Other Bee Flies: See here

Villa Bee Fly

Location: Bunbury, Western Australia

Season: Summer, December 

Order: Diptera 

Suborder: Brachycera 

Infraorder: Asilomorpha 

Superfamily: Asiloidea 

Family: Bombyliidae 

Subfamily: Anthracinae 

Tribe: Villini 

Subfamily: Exoprosopinae 

Genus: Villa

Another species of Bee Fly I found from the Genus Villa can be seen here.

This Bee Fly is morphologically different from the one before. This Bee Fly is yellowish golden in colour. It has black, white and yellow bands of varying breadths. The wing is darkly shaded on the coastal margin of the ring becoming clearer towards posterior margin, however lacks the distinct dark like of the previous species spotted. It is considerably smaller in size than the previous one, measuring about 3 cms in length.

Villa is a big genus within which there are many species. Species identification relies on intricate detail of venation, abdominal rings and tomentum. The species of this particular Bee Fly cannot be determined just by the picture.

Spitting Spider: Scytodes thoracica

Location: Bunbury, Western Australia

Season: Summer, February

Class: Arachnida 

Order: Araneae 

Family: Scytodidae 

Genus: Scytodes

Scytodes thoracica

This Spitting Spider was found inside the house on the ceiling. The spider has a freckled pattern resembling leopard spots. It has 3 pairs of eyes instead of 4 as seen in other spiders. The abdomen and cephalothorax slope towards the opposite sides making it hard to tell the front and back of the spider. This may be to confuse its predators. The legs are very long and the spider moves slowly, if at all it moves during the day. It hunts during the night. Hunting technique is unique to these spiders. They spit venom on the prey, entangling it in a sticky crisscrossed web. 

Spiders from the same family, known as Recluse Spiders are venomous. The species Loxosceles cause Loxoscelism resulting in skin necrosis in humans, only known necrotic arachnidism. However genus Scytodes does not cause any human envenomation.

Reference: Wikipedia Wikipedia Arachne