Overview
The cotton stainers are so-called because of the propensity for some species to attack cotton crops and transmit a fungus to the plant which discolours the lint.
Despite their common name, the majority of the Pyrrhocoridae feed on seeds or fruits. A few species have been recorded as preying on other insects or members of their own species.
Distribution
The Australian pyrrhocorid fauna, comprising 16 species in 3 genera, is found across the mainland but is most speciose in the north-east of the continent.