Citrus Stink Bug

Description:

Rhynchocoris longirostris Stål, 1871. This Citrus Stink Bug belongs to the Hemipteran Family: Pentatomidae. The adults, in dorsal view, are pretty much all dark green with two black stripes running down the lighter green head. The wings tend to look brownish and then black when overlapping in the closed position. In ventral view they show a very light yellowish green, over the entire underside. In younger adults, the legs are more or less the same colour all the way from the top of the femur to the end of the tarsus. In the older adults, the colour of the legs starts the same at the top, but gradually darkens on the way down to the tarsus. The shoulder spikes, which are probably for defence against predators make the bug look very handsome.

Habitat:

My wife spotted this bug in our backyard at around 8:00 a.m. He was on a Kalamansi Tree (Citrus microcarpa). When she pointed it out to me, I was delighted. Here was a pristine bug, probably just went through its moult from final instar to imago (adult) during the night. It was sitting regally on its host plant at the the centre of its domain, looking around. Its habitat stretched as far as the eye could see. So I dashed back into the house to get my camera, anxious to capture this bug's moment of glory. You can imagine my disappointment when I came out, camera at the ready, only to see him make his first flight with his brand new wings and land 10 feet away from his very own Citrus microcarpa on the humblest plant in our yard, a little periwinkle. His moment in the limelight was short-lived.

Notes:

Plant identification - http://www.stuartxchange.org/Kalamansi.h... Beautiful picture by Michaela S. Webb, showing a dorsal view of an adult with wings open, you won't believe the magnificent metallic blue hiding under the wings - https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/958111-...