Catacanthus nigripes
| Distribution: | Asia |
| Size: | 35mm |
| Diet: | Sap, flowers, buds & nectar from various plants |
Shield (or stink) bugs like this belong to the family Pentatomidae, which means five sections in Greek. This refers to the 5 sections of the bugs’ antennae.
Unlike beetles, whose delicate wings are protected by a hardened casing known as elytra, shield bug wings are more exposed. Their top wings are called hemelytra and combine a hard base section (the cream and blue bit) with a thinner tip (the black and yellow bit). They then have a second pair of wings, which are delicate and membranous, beneath.
Capturing the various colours of this stink bug was a joy, especially the blues around the thorax and scutellum (the large triangular area beneath the thorax).
Take a closer look…
