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Australian harlequin Bug (Dindymus versicolor)
These colourful bugs can be the bane of gardeners in south-eastern Australia.
When they appear it is often as an instant plague, covering plants in hundreds, and found in all nymphal and adult stages together. About 12mm long as adults they are might be confused with the Mexican Murgantia histrionica but not related.
Found on shrubs and understory plants in open dry eucalyptus based forest.
It always rankles me somewhat to find a local native classified as a pest.
The bright colours possibly warn predators about an acrid taste as they certainly can smell pungent if accidentally crushed.
"Dindymus versicolor", commonly called the harlequin bug, is a species of cotton stainer bug, found in south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. In North Central districts of Victoria it is sometimes colloquially known as the "Sex Beetle".
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