Sep 2020 and Oct 2021. Morning. SINGAPORE WILDLIFE - Mallotus Shield Bug
I went to walk along the open forest path of Yio Chu Kang Crescent opposite the Seletar Bus Depot.. Rare sighting of the Cantao ocellatus [Mallotus Shield Bug] seen in Singapore. Very rare sighting by me. This is my first in 3 years to see this shield bug in Yio Chu Kang Crescent Secondary forest in December 2020.
OCT 2021:
Two rare sightings of the Mallotus Shield Bug in the Yio Chu Kang Cres forest. First sighting in Dec 2020. The 2nd sighting was around the same forest fringe location in Oct 2021--- a mating pair was seen. Not much breeze swaying the leaves this time - got sharper focus.
T O BUY PHOTO
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UPDATES AT:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2020/12/3938-cantao-ocellatus-mallotus-shield.html
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Very rare sighting by me. This is my first in 3 years to see this shield bug in Yio Chu Kang Crescent Secondary forest in December 2020.
Cantao ocellatus [Mallotus Shield Bug]
Cantao ocellatus is a species of shield bug in the family Scutelleridae found across Asia. 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.[1] A distinctive symbiotic species of Gammaproteobacteria is found in its midgut.[2]
Maternal care of eggs and nymphs has been noted in this species.[3] The female covers the eggs after they are laid but eggs on the edge that she cannot cover are often parasitized by wasps.[4]
They suck sap from a wide range of plants including Macaranga,[1] Kigelia,[4] Mallotus,[5] Bischofia javanica and Broussonetia papyrifera.
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