Red-shouldered Stink Bug nymph – Thyanta custator on Salvia Coccina “Coral Nymph”

These hemipteran nymphs were really difficult to capture because they wouldn’t sit still. I wasn’t able to get great pictures unfortunately. They measure to approximately 2 mm in length. They look similar to carpet beetles, however there are a few clear dissimilarities. First of all, the pattern on the back of the bug looks like some kind of tribal design. The carpet beetle has more of a zigzag pattern on its back. This bug’s shape flattens out at the edges whereas the carpet beetle is more of a bubble shape. It also has very long antennae and thicker protruding legs compared to the carpet beetle. Also they are about half the size of the carpet beetles.