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Project Noah Nature School
Choerocoris paganus
Solitary red bug with gold markings, seen on the Sundew Track at Onkaparinga River National Park. This is the only specimen of this type that I saw. It was about 12-13mm long. A huge thank you to martinl for the ID - this adult is red because it has recently molted and black colours take some hours to develop. This phenomenon is common in insects. It will end up looking like this: http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_...
This shield bug is the same as your nymph. My ID reference shows one freshly emerging, to illustrate that black colors develop after some hours after molting http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/168...
I think your adult one is still red as it's just molted and hasn't got its darker colors yet.
This phenomenon is common in insects including my leaf hopper here http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/165...
Awesome, thanks asergio. Can you take a look at this one? http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/168... I saw it nearby, I'm assuming it's a beetle but it might be something else.
Shanna, this is not a beetle, but a bug. More precisely, a stink bug nymph (Family Pentatomoidea).
Spotted on Nov 27, 2012
Submitted on Dec 15, 2012
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