Red cabbage bug
It feeds on cultivated brassicas such as cabbage, and can hybridise naturally with the closely related crucifer shield bug where their ranges overlap.
| Where | Farmland and gardens with brassicas |
|---|---|
| Size | 7 to 9 mm long |
| When | April to October |
The red cabbage bug is a shield bug with a grey white or bright red ground colour boldly marked in black, and it occasionally shows white or pale yellow green patches instead of red.
Adults and nymphs feed by sucking sap from crucifer plants such as cabbage, cress and radish, and can build up on cultivated brassica crops. It overwinters as an adult and can hybridise with the closely related crucifer shield bug where their ranges meet.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Red, Black, White
Active
Day
To people
Harmless; it does not bite or sting people, though it can be a minor pest of brassica crops.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The crucifer shield bug is slightly smaller, at 5 to 7 mm, with an oval spot on the thorax and on each wing case, rather than the bolder black and red pattern of the red cabbage bug.
Questions
Is the Red cabbage bug dangerous to people?
Harmless; it does not bite or sting people, though it can be a minor pest of brassica crops.
When can you see the Red cabbage bug?
The Red cabbage bug can be seen from April to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Göran Liljeberg, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
True bugs›Shield bugs›Eurydema
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.