Gold Coast Bugs (Hemiptera & Heteroptera)Assassin Bug (Pristhesancus plagipennis) Common Milkweed Bug (Arocatus rusticus) Cotton Harlequin Bug (Tectocoris diophthalmus) Eucalyptus Tip-wilting Bug (Amorbus alternatus) Green Jewel Bug (Lampromicra senator) Green-faced Wattle Hopper (Hackerobrachys viridiventris) Mallotus Harlequin Bug (Cantao parentum) Orange Assassin Bug (Gminatus australis) Red Spiny Assassin Bug (Scipinia arenacea) Shield Bug (Antestiopsis cederwaldi)
Commonly known as the Common Milkweed Bug and the Swan Plant Seed Bug (Arocatus rusticus), both nymphs and adults are usually found feeding on the seeds of the swan plant (genus Gomphocarpus).
Gomphocarpus is native to Africa (and an introduced plant to Australia), with species such as Balloon Cotton Bush (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) regarded as an environmental weed here in Australia.
The nymphs are bright red and black, a warning sign, as they feed on the toxic milkweed plant. The adults have the elongated side body and are a dull orange-red and dull black in colour. The adults have relatively large eyes and will hibernate amongst dead leaves and under bark.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Hemiptera
- Suborder: Heteroptera
- Infraorder: Pentatomomorpha
- Superfamily: Lygaeoidea
- Family: Lygaeidae
- Subfamily: Lygaeinae
- Genus: Arocatus
- Species: Arocatus rusticus
Footnote & References
- Photographs © Stefan Jones
- Arocatus rusticus (Stål, 1866), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/66dc6b01-9c20-45fa-9de5-2cdd07746b65
Gold Coast InsectsAntlions, Lacewings, and Allies (Neuroptera) Ants Bees Beetles Bugs (Hemiptera & Heteroptera) Buterflies & Moths Flies (Diptera) Wasps
QueenslandGold Coast Region Lamington National Park Southern Downs QLD