Catacanthus incarnates or the Man-faced Stink Bug found in Southeast Asia and India has an unusual patterning that acts as a warning to predators that it could be poisonous, and draws attention away from the vulnerable head area. Stink bugs are notorious pests; they target a plant’s fruit and tender shoots in huge groups, using pheromones to attract scores of other stink bugs to join in.
Man-Faced Stink Bugs can come in several colours, such as red, yellow, orange and cream, and it’s thought that these mostly bold colours exist to warn predators that the bug is either poisonous or at least tastes horrible. The bizarre face pattern could also function as a defence mechanism, with the pseudo-eyespots drawing attention away from the vulnerable head area.
Also known as shield bugs, Man-Faced Stink Bugs have a thick, hardened extension of the thorax, called a scutellum that covers and protects the top of its abdomen. It sometimes has two prominent black dots on its scutellum, but always has a pair of big, black spots on its leathery wings.
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