About Tessaratoma papillosa (Drury, 1770)
Adults of Tessaratoma papillosa have a yellowish-brown, shield-shaped body. They measure 24-28mm in body length and 15-17mm in body width, and females are slightly larger than males. This species has one pair of ommatidia and one pair of compound eyes, both red. Antennae are dark brown and divided into four segments. The prothorax slopes forward and downward. Odor glands are located near the front of the metathoracic side plate, and white wax powder covers the ventral surface of the thorax. On the ventral surface of the final abdominal segment, females have a central longitudinal slit, while males have a concave mating structure. Nymphs of Tessaratoma papillosa go through five instars. First instar nymphs are about 4-5mm long with an oval-shaped body. Newly hatched first instars are bright red, which gradually fades to blue-gray, and they have dark red compound eyes. Second instar nymphs have a slightly rectangular body shape, are about 8mm long, and have an orange body with a grey-blue outer edge, a white dorsal midline, and vertical stripes on the abdomen. Third and fourth instar nymphs have the same coloration as the second instar, and measure 10-12mm and 14-16mm in body length respectively. Fifth instar nymphs develop prominent wing buds, and are about 18-20mm in length. When first laid, eggs of T. papillosa are pale green, fading to gray over time. Eggs are laid in clusters of approximately 14 eggs, are slightly oval, and measure about 2.5-2.6mm in length.
