Scientific name: Coleotichus blackburniae

Classification: Phylum: Arthropoda. Class: Insecta. Order: Hemiptera. Family: Scutellaridae.

Origin: Native

Status: Severly reduced populations

Distribution: All the main islands

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The koa bug is probably the most spectacular of all of our native insects. It has jewel-like reflections all over its body. This endemic insect is found naturally on koa (giving it its name), but an introduced parasite brought in to kill a similar looking bug pest is unfortunately reducing or eliminating populations of this bug on some of our islands. [ full story ]