Tectocoris diophthalmus
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Tectocoris diophthalmus, commonly known as the hibiscus harlequin bug or cotton harlequin bug, is the sole member of the genus Tectocoris and subfamily Tectocorinae. It is a brightly coloured convex and rounded shield-shaped bug with a metallic sheen that grows to about 20 mm. Adult females are mostly orange and males are both blue and red or orange, while nymphs are typically metallic green and purple. The colours are quite variable, and experiments suggest that the variation in colour may reduce bird predation, especially on the immature stages. This extreme level of variation is such that different taxonomists have, since 1781, described this species under different new names at least 16 times, some of these supernumerary names remaining in use until 2006, when it was finally confirmed that they were all colour forms of a single organism. It is common in Eastern Australia, New Guinea and several Pacific Islands in habitats ranging from urban to agricultural and coastal areas.
Hibiscus harlequin bugs feed on many species of the family Malvaceae, as well as cultivated cotton. They will also feed on Illawarra flame tree flowers, Grevillea and bottlebrush saplings. They pierce the stems of young shoots and suck the sap. Females lay clusters of eggs around stems of usually the hibiscus plant and then guards them until they hatch. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Hibiscus Harlequin Bug sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 820 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 742 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and May–June
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Hibiscus Harlequin Bug in Sydney on a given day, against about 10% in November, the lowest month.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hibiscus Harlequin Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Hibiscus Harlequin Bug sightings, Sydney ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 30%).
Same family: Scutelleridae
The closest relatives of the Hibiscus Harlequin Bug that you can see in Sydney (family Scutelleridae, Jewel Bugs) are Metallic Shield Bug (about 10%) and Red Jewel Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hibiscus Harlequin Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Sydney (820 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.
