Mictis profana Nymph

Mictis profana (Crusader Bug)Mating Nymph

There are five nymphal stages of the Mictis profana. After hatching from the egg the Mictis profana goes‌ through 5 instar stages of development.

The 1st instar stage the nymphs are light and have a red in colour. As the exoskeleton hardens, they become darker, black in colour. They have a body length of about 5 mm with a white line across the top of the abdomen. During the different instar stages the body colour may have a deep dark brown/reddish colour tone (these colours could vary across different locations in Australia).

The following photo depicts the Mictis profana eggs and the first instar on the front door of a residential property.

Mictis profana eggs and first instar, Yanchep WA © Ross Nicholls — *Mictis profana* eggs and first instar, Yanchep WA © Ross Nicholls

Crusader bugs feed on a wide range of plants, including wattles, eucalypts and fruit trees (such as citrus), as well as garden plants (such as roses).

The following shows them on the flowering plant Parrot Pea (Crotalaria cunninghamii).

In the 2nd instar stage they have a body length of about 10 mm with more pronounce white colour, that is also evident around the marginal edge of the hemelytra (in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra), that sit over the abdomen. They also have a pronounced orange/yellow band where the legs join the body and near the tip of the antennae.

The 3rd instar stage they have a body length of 15 mm and are shades of brown in colour, with two pronounced spots on the upper side of the abdomen. they will also have additional orange/yellow banding on their legs.

The 4th instar stage, they have a body length of 20 mm and will have a lighter yellow/white spots on the upper side of the abdomen and two yellow/white patches on either side of the pronotum.

Mictis profana (4th instar with a 2nd instar), Central Coast NSW © Peter Street — *Mictis profana* (4th instar on left with a 2nd instar on right), Central Coast NSW © Peter Street

At the 5th instar (developmental stage), the Mictis profana are close to 25 mm long. They have yellow bolero-like “waistcoat” (sometimes with a black trim), on a developed pronotum (plate-like structure that covers the thorax). Check out the link in the footnote of a 5th instar.