Forest bug Pentatoma rufipes

Features

Quite a common species, often observed on tree trunks or in sunny positions among shrubs, blackberries and grass leaves. Adults often prey on smaller insects, but they also feed on the juices of juicy fruits (eg blackberries) and also on nectar. Adults can also excrete foul-smelling fluid.

Species	Insect
Living space	Bush crowns, Meadow, Treeline
Size	13-15 mm

Description

It can reach a length of 13-15 mm. These large and flat shield bugs are shaped like an escutcheon-type shield. They have a dark brown body in autumn, lighter in summer, usually bronze-colored. They show red-orange to cream markings at the tip of their scutella. The connexium usually has dark brown, reddish, and light blue bands. The legs and the first segment of the antennae are usually red-brown or bright orange. Its distinguishing characteristic is a pair of projections extending forward from the shoulders at the front of its dorsal thorax. The larvae are dark, but become lighter, especially at the hind body, with increasing age.