Appearance

Appearance

Adults are about 0.4–0.55 in (10–14 mm) long. The body is reddish brown to yellowish brown, covered with fine pale hairs, and edged with alternating light and dark patches.

Look-alikes

brown marmorated stink bugHalyomorpha halys

Brown marmorated stink bugs are larger at about 0.55–0.67 in (14–17 mm) and lack the dense long hairs. Sloe Bugs are smaller and visibly hairy, with pale bands repeated across several antennal segments.

Why they get mixed up · Both are mottled brown, shield-shaped bugs with banded antennae and patterned abdominal edges.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• hedgerows
• woodland edges
• meadows
• gardens

Range

Its known range extends across Europe and Asia, including Korea and Japan. Whether it lives in the U.S. wild is unclear.

Preferred conditions

Adults and nymphs occur on many kinds of woody and herbaceous plants.

Behavior

Diet

Adults and nymphs pierce plant tissue and drink sap from leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruit.

Overwintering

In cooler parts of its Eurasian range, adults enter a seasonal resting state and shelter through winter before reproducing the next spring.

Life cycle

Reproduction

Females place clusters of barrel-shaped eggs on plants. Young nymphs may remain together soon after hatching.

Connected species

Ties with other wildlife

This is a broad-feeding plant bug rather than a predator. It uses many crop and wild plant species.

Name and classification

About the name

It is also called the hairy shieldbug.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed

Threats

Large numbers can injure developing seeds and fruit, so the species is monitored as a crop pest in parts of Eurasia.