Stats

Lifespan

1-2 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

Europe

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Toxins

Status

Common

About

The Forest Bug is a shield bug named for its vivid orange-red legs, which stand out sharply against its bronze-green body. It is most often found on oak trees, where adults and nymphs pierce developing acorns and caterpillars to feed on their contents.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hemiptera

Family

Pentatomidae

Genus

Pentatoma

Species

Pentatoma rufipes