Red Cotton Bug vs Redeye Cicada

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Red Cotton Bug Redeye Cicada
Scientific Name Dysdercus koenigii Psaltoda moerens
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Pyrrhocoridae Cicadidae
Size 12-18 mm 35-42 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Fungus Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka) Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Red Cotton Bug

A bright red and black true bug that stains cotton lint by piercing developing cotton bolls. Adults and nymphs aggregate in large numbers on cotton plants, and their feeding introduces fungi that further damage the crop.

💡

Did You Know?

The red staining caused by this bug's feeding on cotton bolls reduces the market value of the cotton fiber by creating permanent yellow spots.

Redeye Cicada

A striking Australian cicada with bright red eyes and a dark body. Large choruses create a deafening noise in urban and suburban areas.

💡

Did You Know?

Mass emergences in Sydney can produce collective noise levels rivaling a rock concert.