Ocellated Shield Bug

Ocellated Shield Bug

Cantao ocellatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tuen Mun

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

17 Verified sightings at Tuen Mun
98 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Ocellated Shield Bug

Cantao ocellatus is a species of shield bug in the family Scutelleridae found across Asia. Cantao ocellatus is reddish or ochre in overall colour it has dark legs and bluish black antennae. A dark bluish black stripe is present along the central line of the head. The pronotum sometimes has two black spots on the front margin and sometimes has eight spots. The scutellum has eight or six black spots of variable size but with yellowish borders. The lateral angle of the pronotum is elongated into a curved spine but this can be much reduced. A distinctive symbiotic bacterial genus Sodalis from phylum Gammaproteobacteria is found in its midgut. Maternal care of eggs and nymphs has been noted in this species. The female stands over and covers the eggs after they are laid but eggs on the edge that she cannot cover are often parasitized by wasps.

Cantao ocellatus has been reported from the Indian Subcontinent into Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea. It has also been reported from Japan and Zaire. Cantao ocellatus suck sap from a wide range of plants including Macaranga, Camellia sasanqua, Kigelia, Mallotus, Bischofia javanica... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~30%
2 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~20%
3 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Taichung 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
2 Zhuhai [Macau] 🇨🇳 China
~10%
3 Kunming 🇨🇳 China
~10%
4 Fuzhou 🇨🇳 China
~10%
5 Taipei 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
6 Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China
~10%
7 Tuen Mun 🇨🇳 China
~10%
8 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
9 Guangzhou 🇨🇳 China
~10%
10 Tainan 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Ocellated Shield Bug in Tuen Mun?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ocellated Shield Bug sighting in Tuen Mun on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 229th most-seen of the 557 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 an Ocellated Shield Bug in Tuen Mun?

June

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Ocellated Shield Bug in Tuen Mun on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, July–September and December, the lowest months. That is one of Tuen Mun's wettest months, with about 290 mm of rain against 20 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see an Ocellated Shield Bug?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ocellated Shield Bug sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Tuen Mun the best place to see an Ocellated Shield Bug?

Among the best

Of the 15 cities where we can rate Ocellated Shield Bug sightings, Tuen Mun ranks 7th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Taichung (Taiwan, about 10%), Zhuhai [Macau] (China, about 10%) and Kunming (China, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Ocellated Shield Bug live in Tuen Mun?

Same family: Scutelleridae

The closest relatives of the Ocellated Shield Bug that you can see in Tuen Mun (family Scutelleridae, Jewel Bugs) are Death Head Bug (about 10%) and Lychee Shield Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Ocellated Shield Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ocellated Shield Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Tuen Mun (17 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.

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