These Bugs Look Like Carved Pumpkins, and It’s the Halloween Mood Boost We Need Right Now

There are a million things we can do to create and feel the Halloween vibes, but sometimes mother nature herself takes care of our Halloween mood. One Redditor found a bug that looks like a carved Halloween pumpkin, and it turns out that there’s a whole species of these creatures that perfectly fit the festive mood of this spooky season.

Here at Bright Side, we fell in love with these live Jack O’Lanterns from the insect world, and we can’t wait to tell you more about these lovely creatures.

“This bug that looks like a carved pumpkin landed on my balcony last week.”

Here is the bug that Reddit user imagine-engine found on their balcony. Other Redditors started guessing who this cute spooky insect might be, and one of the comments suggested that this was actually a Hibiscus Harlequin Bug.

Hibiscus Harlequin Bug

Tectocoris diophthalmus is commonly known as the Hibiscus Harlequin Bug or Cotton Harlequin Bug. These insects are shield-shaped bugs that reach a size of 20 mm and can boast of a variety of colors. One of their color combinations is an orange background with some dark spots that remind us of a smiley face cut out from a pumpkin.

Because of the variety of colors these creatures can have, at first scientists described these bugs as different species, until they realized they all belonged to one species, but just had different color patterns. The color of Hibiscus Harlequin Bugs also depends on their gender. Adult female bugs are usually orange, while male bugs can be red, orange, or blue.

You can find these colorful bugs in Eastern Australia, New Guinea, and on some Pacific islands.

And here are some more pictures of these lovely “Halloween bugs” in different colors and patterns. Enjoy!

What is the most unusual insect you have ever seen? Do you have a picture of it to show to us and your fellow Bright Side readers in the comments?