Black-shouldered shieldbug
Its body color ranges from purplish-brown to pale yellow depending on the individual, but a pair of dark stripes at the shoulders stays constant.
| Where | Grassland, hedgerows and fields |
|---|---|
| Size | 11 to 13 mm long |
| When | April to September |
The body is shield-shaped and typically purplish-brown to russet or yellowish, with short black stripes at the outer corners of the pronotum and a scutellum whose rear edge runs essentially straight. The legs are orange while the antennae stay black.
Adults and nymphs pierce a wide range of herbaceous plants including thistles, daisies and various crops to feed, and eggs are laid on host foliage from late spring into summer.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Brown, Orange, Black
Active
Day
To people
Minor crop pest on beans, cabbage and related vegetables
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Carpocoris pudicus shows a sharp notch cut into the rear edge of its scutellum, while the black-shouldered shieldbug's scutellum edge runs essentially straight and unnotched.
Questions
Is the Black-shouldered shieldbug dangerous to people?
Minor crop pest on beans, cabbage and related vegetables.
When can you see the Black-shouldered shieldbug?
The Black-shouldered shieldbug can be seen from April to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Syrio, CC BY‑SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
The plate on this page is shared under the same licence as its source, CC BY-SA.
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True bugs›Shield bugs›Carpocoris
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.