Crusader Bug - Mictis profana
Family Coreidae
This page contains pictures and information about Crusader Bugs that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia. This bug is also known as Holy Cross Bug.
- Male, body length 25mm
- This bug is dark brown in colour and with a diagonal white cross on its back like the Crusader's shield. Its hind legs are thick and strong. During the day time we easily found many of them feeding on host plants, just do not care if there were any predators. The bugs live on different kinds of shrubs and trees.
Adults
- Males and females are the same size and looked about the same, except males have stronger and spiny hind legs.
- Female
- Male
- The bugs are slow motion but they do fly occasionally. We saw once there were some Tent Spiders web above their feeding plants and some Crusader Bugs got caught in the spider web.
Nymph
- The following pictures show the Crusader Bug nymph in different stages. All can be found on the same plants at the same time in summer. The nymphs feed on the same plant as their adults.
- Eggs and 1st instars, body length 5mm (Not exactly sure if this is the 1st instars of Crusader Bug, need further investigate to confirm.)
- 2nd instars, body length 10mm 2nd and last instars
- 3rd instars, body length 15 mm
- 4th instars, body length 20mm
- 5th (last) instars, length 25mm
Sucking Mouth and Host Plants
- The bugs feed on Acacia, Cassia and some other garden plants. They prefer new shoots and pierce plants with their sucking mouthparts.
- Easter Cassia (Senna pendula, weeds) Calliandra sp.
- In the above photos notice its sucking mouth part and its damages to the plant. The plant tip after the bug's mouth is wilted. Also notice the small hole above its middle pair of legs. Strong smell will come out from there as a deterrent to predators.
- Reference:
- 1. Crusader bug, Mictis profana (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Coreidae) - www.padil.gov.au, 2007.
- 2. Crusader Bug Fact File - Wildlife of Sydney, Australian Museum online, 2008.
- 3. Wild Plants of Greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum, 2003, p345, Easter Cassia Senna pendula.
