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Australian Wildlife

  Crusader Bug (Mictis profana)





Crusader Bug | Mictis profana photo
Crusader Bug, Black Mountain, Canberra

Image by Donald Hobern - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







CRUSADER BUG FACTS

Identification
The Crusader Bug is a brown bug with a prominent yellow cross on the back. It has long legs with hindlegs much thicker than other legs. The antennae have orange tips. The thorax has prominent conical spines projecting on either side at the shoulders.. Later instar nymphs have two orange spots in the middle of the upper surface of abdomen.

Size
length 20mm to 25mm

Food
Crusader Bugs feed on a wide variety of plants including grapes, pawpaws, tomatoes, beans, citrus and garden ornamentals. They also feed on native plants such as Acacias and Eucalypts. They feed by piercing plants and sucking the sap, with a preference for new shoots.



Classification
Class:Insecta
Order:Hemiptera
Family:Coreidae
Genus:Mictis
Species:profana
Common Name:Crusader Bug