Overview
These unusual looking bugs have no common name as they are cryptic in their habits and very small in size (aprox. 2 - 4 mm long) and therefore very rarely collected. There are only 17 described species worldwide.
Thaumastocorids feed upon vegetation, sucking the sap out of hosts such as
Banksia
,
Acacia
and
Eucalyptus
. Little is known of the habits of thaumastocorids and much research remains to be done on their feeding preferences, mating habits and life history.
Distribution
Australia possesses a large proportion of the world fauna with 11 species recorded as occuring here, all from the subfamily Thaumastocorinae. This subfamily is found in all Australian states and contains three genera -
Thaumastocoris
,
Onymocoris
and
Baclozygum
.