Bronze Orange Bug

Isn't it interesting how a seemingly simple thing can lead you on to another, and another, so that before you know it life shapes you and takes you in another direction entirely? And usually that's great fun.

These pictures show my latest interest. A new camera has had a role in this as my husband, seeing my interest in tiny things in the garden; flowers, buds, butterflies, bugs and so on, bought me a 12x times zoom digital camera, and it is fantastic.

On the right is a photo of some tiny green eggs on an orange tree leaf. The reason I found these was all to do with a pink moth on the window sill ages ago (see entry October, 06 on this blog) and determined to find out what is was. That beautiful pink moth led me down a path I didn't expect. To find out its name I did some unsuccessful internet searches which in turn led me to a man who has created a site with information on butterflies and moths of Australia. It is so impressive. You should all go and have a look. I have a link on the moth page (October 06).

He told me the moth’s name and then asked for my help and so I am now collaborating with him on a web site, which he had already begun, on the flowering plants of Australia.
Link to site



So how does that get me to the eggs?

Well I started taking more notice of insects and caterpillars in the garden. I already had a good working knowledge of birds, reptiles, frogs and plants. All gained just from taking notice and researching books initially, and now much more the internet.


I noticed large smelly bugs covering my Orange tree. Many of them were mating so I took some photos and then researched. They were members of the Shield bug family or stink bugs to some people. I had to dispose of them before they ruined my crop of tiny oranges just forming and whilst doing that I noticed the little eggs. I figured there was a good chance they were the eggs of the mating bugs so I picked the leaf, brought them inside and researched again.

It took just a few days for the eggs to hatch into these tiny little green bugs in photo 2. They are only a millimetre in size, so tiny. Just hatched they immediately headed off in different directions and began to move their even tinier little wings, drying them out maybe.

I would never have witnessed this fascinating event without the pink moth in the first place.
So one simple thing leads to another.

I love the cranky face on the back of the adult bug.

Link to information on bug