David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital
Video Images
____________________________________________________________________________________Bugs 27 – Forest Bugs or Red-legged Shieldbugs
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUGS OR RED-LEGGED
SHIELDBUG Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes FOREST
BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes
FOREST BUG OR RED-LEGGED SHIELDBUG
Pentatoma rufipes (final instar nymph)
·
There are perhaps some minor imperfections in the vernacular names of the
Forest Bug or Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma
rufipes as this common and rather handsome insect is
far from restricted to forests and the legs (and some other paler parts of
their anatomy) darken with age and they are only truly red in fully mature
adults. Nevertheless, this bug needs to be called something and as there are so
many insects the application of an unequivocal label is important if it assists
with identification. This particularly of significance for scientific names as
they need to be unique and recognisable across language barriers. Vernacular
names are often just that – and some species will have acquired a whole array
of locally applied names over time. Fortunately, this bug is easier to
recognise than many, being distinctive both in its shape (particularly that of
the adult’s pronotum with its two thorn-like projections) and markings. These
alter during development and in many cases immature shieldbugs
may be more brightly marked than the adults of the same species. These striking
colours indicate their distastefulness to would-be predators.
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-> Species Index, Common Names
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