Choerocoris paganus
Species of insect
Choerocoris paganus, is a native Australian insect, also commonly known as both the red jewel bug and ground shield bug. This small bug with a body length of 1cm is easily recognisable with its large, mostly crimson scutella with a large blue black blotch towards the front and two small blotches towards the back that have a copper, green hue. The head and legs are dark blue.They are one of the most commonly encountered jewel bugs in Australia and can easily be distinguished from other species by textured areas on and around the pronotum. It is generally not harmful, but can excrete pungent stink fluid if handled roughly.
Taxonomy
The first scientific description of the Australian red jewel bug was made in 1775 by Danish entomologist Johan Christian Fabricius as a species of true bug in the family Scutelleridae, the 'shield backed bugs'. These are not be confused with jewel beetles which are from the order coleoptera with different mouth and wing features.
Etymology
The genus name Choerocoris is derived its name from the Greek words 'choiros', for its 'pig-like' rounded appearance, and 'koris', for its convex bug shape. The species epithet paganus comes from its latin root 'pagus', which refers to a country district but in biology refers to a species found in rural areas or open scrubland.
Distribution
Choerocoris paganus has a wide distribution around Australia, across all states and territories. It is more densely populated in temperate areas around Australia, but have also been found in low numbers in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory.
“Choerocoris paganus” enters the record as species of insect. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Choerocoris, paganus and Species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Choerocoris paganus” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Choerocoris, paganus and Species provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q111127241. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1775.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Choerocoris paganus”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Choerocoris paganus primary sources, Choerocoris paganus archive and Choerocoris research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Choerocoris paganus”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Choerocoris paganus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.