Promoted
Crusader bug nymphs: recently hatched
As true bugs within order Hemiptera, by using their sucking mouthparts, crusader bugs feed on a wide range of plants including wattles and eucalypts, also non-natives such as orchard plants eg. citrus and garden plants eg, roses.
An adult can reach 25 mm in length and is recognisable with a clear saltire on its back in light yellow contrasting to the rest of the dark brown/black body.
The nymphs pictured here are 1st instars recently out of their eggs and no more than 5 mm in length. The eggs were close by, on an adjoining leaf.
"Mictis profana" is a species of insect in the family Coreidae known by the common names crusader bug and holy cross bug. It is distributed in Australia, Indonesia, and the Indo-Pacific. The insect can be seen in most habitat types, from urban areas to the coastal heath, except for the desert.
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