Bug FAQDarth Maul Bug
Spilostethus hospes · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Lygaeidae
Also called: Tasselflower Bug
Source: Wikipedia
Adult Darth Maul bugs are 11 to 13 mm long and show red-black warning patterns that can vary between individuals. They live in tropical-like climates across Asia, Australasia and Oceania, feeding on leaves, stems, fruits and seeds of many plants. Feeding can weaken plants and reduce yields, making them a garden and crop pest.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Their backs have red and black markings that warn predators of toxicity, though the exact pattern differs among bugs.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Full-grown individuals measure between 11 and 13 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Plant feeding reduces the health and productivity of the plants they attack.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in tropical rainforest-type areas and also in forests, fields, open plains and shrub-lands.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They eat plant parts such as leaves, stems, fruits and seeds. In Australia they are often seen on red-headed cotton bush, caustic vine and swan plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
They develop through simple metamorphosis. Various nymph stages can be found on host plants during summer.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Nymphs are visible on host plants in the summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their native range includes Asia, Australasia and Oceania.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
They resemble other Lygaeidae bugs with similar markings, but the large milkweed bug is a different species.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
How can I tell a Darth Maul bug from similar bugs?
Look for the red-black warning pattern on the back, which can vary, and note the 11 to 13 mm size.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do they damage?
They feed on leaves, stems, fruits and seeds of many plants, including cotton bush, caustic vine and swan plants in Australia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lygaeidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spilostethus_hospes
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.