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- This page contains pictures and information about Bugs in superfamily
Pentatomoidea that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
They include the stinkbugs, shieldbugs, tortoise bugs, burrower bugs and
jewel bugs.
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 - Shield Backed Bug
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- As all other bugs in the Order Hemiptera,
bugs in superfamily Pentatomoidea have one common characteristic: their sucking mouths. All of them suck juice from plants or other insects.
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- Large Stink
Bug
Jewel
Bug
Shield Bug
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- The shield-shaped insect of the superfamily Pentatomoidea, especially the family Pentatomidae,
are called Shield Bug. They have well-developed scutellum that is either
triangular to semi-elliptical in shape. They are also known as Stink Bug. They
have stink glands.
These glands usually give off a foul odor when the insect is disturbed.
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- They usually have flat and soft
bodies. Their forewings are toughen on the base area and with a membranous tip
part. Their antennae are well developed with up to five segments.
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- They are
incomplete metamorphosis and their young, the nymphs, look much the same as
their adults except smaller and wingless.
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   - Stink bug instars
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- When bugs just hatched from eggs as 1st instars, they usually stay around their eggs cases. In general
the1st instars nymph bugs do not feed when they first emerge. They
spend some time ingesting bacteria which the female deposited on the eggs when
she laid them. The bug have to liquefy the food with saliva first before they
can feed on it.
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- To
quickly identify the Stink Bug that you found, try our Field
Guide page.
Classification :
Superfamily PENTATOMOIDEA
 Family
Cydnidae - Burrowing Bugs- We found only one species in this family. They are known as Burrowing
Bugs living on ground.
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 Family Tessaratomidae
- Large Stink Bugs- Family Tessaratomidae is a small family very close to Family Pentatomidae.
All members in this family look like pentatomid except they are large and with
very small head. Like the Stink Bugs, they will also will emit a pungent, evil-smelling liquid if disturbed.
We only found one species in this family.
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 Family Scutelleridae - Jewel Bugs
and Shield Backed
Bugs- Shield Backed Bugs Bugs in this family are usually colourful with metallic colour of spots. Shield-backed bugs are plant suckers. They can be distinguished from other bugs by their scutellum completely covered the whole abdomen and wings. This family are closely related to stink bugs and also produce offensive odors when disturbed.
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 Family Pentatomidae - Stink Bugs - Bugs in this family will emit a pungent, evil-smelling liquid if disturbed.
Their antennae are 5-segmented. Their body are usually in shield-shaped. Stink bugs are distinguished from other bugs by their
triangular scutellum which is well extended to cover half of their back. Their legs are thin and with no spines.
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- Reference:
- 1. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 508.
- 2. PENTATOMOIDEA
- - Australian Biological Resources Study, Australia, 2002.
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[ Stink Bugs Field Guide ] [ Family Cydnidae ] [ Family Tessaratomidae ] [ Family Scutelleridae ] [ Family Pentatomidae ]
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