Brown Soldier Bug

Brown Soldier Bug

Cermatulus nasalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Auckland

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

35 Verified sightings at Auckland
36 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Brown Soldier Bug

Cermatulus nasalis is a species of predatory shield bug in the family Pentatomidae. It is commonly known as the brown soldier bug or glossy shield bug and is native to Australia and New Zealand. The species was first identified by John Obadiah Westwood in 1837, who described the species as Aelia nasalis. In 1951 William Dallas created the genus Cermatulus, naming Cermatulus nasalis as the type species. The species has three known subspecies. C. turbotti, endemic to Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands northwest of New Zealand, was described as a species in 1950 by Thomas E. Woodward. Woodward later revised this designation in 1952, describing it as a subspecies of Cermatulus nasalis, however some authors such as Donald B. Thomas consider this to be a separate species.

The head is brown and has a bluntly rounded snout. The prothorax is broadly triangular and marked with fine perforations... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
2 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 Egmont National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
4 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
5 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Auckland 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
2 Perth 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
4 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Soldier Bug in Auckland?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Soldier Bug sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 35 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 188th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Brown Soldier Bug in Auckland?

June and September–March

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Soldier Bug in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in April–May and July–August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Brown Soldier Bug?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown Soldier Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Auckland the best place to see a Brown Soldier Bug?

Yes

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Brown Soldier Bug sightings, Auckland has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Perth (Australia, about 10%) and Sydney (Australia, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Brown Soldier Bug live in Auckland?

Same family: Pentatomidae

The closest relatives of the Brown Soldier Bug that you can see in Auckland (family Pentatomidae, Stink Bugs) are Glaucias amyota (about 20%), Southern Green Stink Bug (about 20%) and Brown Shield Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Brown Soldier Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Brown Soldier Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (35 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Auckland