Tessaratomid Giant Shield Bug vs African Cotton Stainer
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Tessaratomid Giant Shield Bug | African Cotton Stainer |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tessaratoma papillosa | Dysdercus fasciatus |
| Order | Hemiptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Tessaratomidae | Pyrrhocoridae |
| Size | 25-30 mm | 13-18 mm |
| Habitat | Orchards | Farmland |
| Diet | Sap Feeders | Seed Feeders |
| Regions | South and Southeast Asia, China | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Tessaratomid Giant Shield Bug
A very large, robust shield bug that is a serious pest of lychee and longan trees in Asia. Adults are yellowish-brown and can spray a caustic defensive fluid. It is one of the largest true bugs in the Hemiptera order.
Did You Know?
It can spray a caustic chemical from its thoracic glands that causes intense burning pain and temporary blindness if it contacts the eyes of a predator or person.
African Cotton Stainer
A vividly red and black pyrrhocorid bug that is a significant pest of cotton across tropical Africa. It aggregates in large numbers on cotton plants where it feeds on developing bolls. The bold coloration signals its unpalatability to birds.
Did You Know?
Large mating aggregations of hundreds of individuals form dense red clusters on cotton plants, making them highly conspicuous to farmers.