Alice Springs True Bugs (Heteroptera)Aphylidae (Pentatomoid Bug) Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug Ground Shield Bug (Choerocoris paganus) Ippatha australiensis Poecilometis patruelis (Shield Bug) Soapberry Bugs, Leptocoris sp Spilostethus sp Water Scorpion

Welcome to our section on the True Bugs of Alice Springs. These true bugs include some species that may be familiar to some of you including Amorbus alternatus (commonly known as the Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug) and Choerocoris paganus (commonly known as the Ground Shield Bug or the Red Jewel Bug).

Click on the following images to see more information on the true bugs.

Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug (Amorbus alternatus), nymph, Araluen, Alice Springs NT
Amorbus alternatus (Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug)
Aphylidae (Pentatomoid Bug), Alice Springs NT
Aphylidae (Pentatomoid Bug)
Choerocoris paganus, Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Choerocoris paganus (Ground Shield Bug)
Ippatha australiensis (Stink Bug), family Pentatomidae, Alice Springs NT
Ippatha australiensis, Pentatomidae (Stink Bug)
Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis), Alice Springs, NT
Laccotrephes tristis (Water Scorpion)
Soapberry Bug (Leptocoris tagalicus) on Needlewood (Hakea leucoptera), Alice Springs NT
Leptocoris tagalicus (Soapberry Bug)
Common Gum Tree Shield Bug (Poecilometis patruelis), Alice Springs NT
Poecilometis patruelis (Shield Bug)
Large Milkweed Bugs (Spilosethus hospes), Alice Springs NT
Spilosethus hospes (Large Milkweed Bug)

The suborder Heteroptera are a group of some 40,000 species of insects. This group are referred to as “true bugs”, although the common name is also used to describe the order Hemiptera.

Nymph - Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug (Amorbus alternatus), Alice Springs NT
Nymph – Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug (Amorbus alternatus), Alice Springs NT

Heteroptera comes from the Greek for “different wings”, as most species of this group have forewings with both membranous and hardened portions (called hemelytra, elytra, or tegmina). The hemelytra (plural), is the modified forewings, that is thick and cornified (horny) at the base, and membranous at the apex (tips). At rest the forewings are folded over the hindwings.

Choerocoris paganus, Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Choerocoris paganus, Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Soapberry Bugs (Leptocoris tagalicus) on Needlewood (Hakea leucoptera), Alice Springs NT
Soapberry Bugs (Leptocoris tagalicus) on Needlewood (Hakea leucoptera), Alice Springs NT
Nymph - Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug (Amorbus alternatus), Alice Springs NT
Nymph – Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug (Amorbus alternatus), Alice Springs NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Hemiptera
  • Suborder: Heteroptera
  • Infraorder: Pentatomomorpha
  • Superfamily: Pentatomoidea
  • Family: Scutelleridae
  • Subfamily: Scutellerinae
  • Genus: Cantao
  • Species: Cantao parentum
  • Genus: Lampromicra
  • Species: Lampromicra senator
  • Family: Pentatomidae
  • Subfamily: Asopinae
  • Genus: Asopinae
  • Species: Amyotea hamata

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Hemiptera
  • Suborders: Heteroptera
  • Infraorder:
    • Cimicomorpha
    • Dipsocoromorpha
    • Enicocephalomorpha
    • Gerromorpha
    • Leptopodomorpha
    • Nepomorpha
    • Pentatomomorpha


Alice Springs True Bugs (Heteroptera)Aphylidae (Pentatomoid Bug) Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug Ground Shield Bug (Choerocoris paganus) Ippatha australiensis Poecilometis patruelis (Shield Bug) Soapberry Bugs, Leptocoris sp Spilostethus sp Water Scorpion

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