Flower Bug vs Cederberg Heelwalker

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flower Bug Cederberg Heelwalker
Scientific Name Orius insidiosus Austrophasma cederbergense
Order Hemiptera Mantophasmatodea
Family Anthocoridae Austrophasmatidae
Size 2-3 mm 15-22 mm
Habitat Underground Heathland
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North and South America Southern Africa, South Africa
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Flower Bug

A tiny predatory bug widely used in biological pest control against thrips and aphids. Despite its small size it is a voracious predator consuming dozens of prey daily.

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Did You Know?

It is commercially mass-reared and sold to greenhouse growers as a living pesticide.

Cederberg Heelwalker

A predatory heelwalker found in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa. It is greenish-brown and well-camouflaged among fynbos shrubs.

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Did You Know?

Females eat the male after mating, similar to praying mantises, despite being in an entirely different order.