Hairy shieldbug © Chris Lawrence
Hairy shieldbug © Chris Lawrence
Hairy shieldbug
Scientific name: Dolycoris baccarum
This large shieldbug lives up to its name, bristling with long pale hairs. It's a common sight in parks, hedgerows and woodland edges in much of the UK.
Species information
About
Hairy shieldbugs are a common sight across much of the UK, particularly along hedgerows and at the edges of woodland, but also in parks and gardens. As the name suggests, they're covered in tiny hairs - though you may have to look closely to spot them! They are also known as sloe shieldbugs, because they're often found around blackthorns, where they use their piercing mouthparts to feed on the fruits - called sloes. They also feed on the leaves, seeds and fruits of a wide range of other plants.Hairy shieldbugs spend the winter as an adult, emerging in spring to mate. Females lay clumps of brownish, barrel-shaped eggs that stick firmly to the chosen plant. The young, known as nymphs, are smaller and rounder than the adults, but still covered in pale hairs. They go through several stages of growth, before maturing into their adult form in late summer or early autumn.
How to identify
A large, purplish-brown shieldbug with a greenish scutellum (the triangular patch in the centre of the back). It has a black-and-white chequered border at the rear of the body, and black-and-white antennae. On closer inspection, it is covered in fine, pale hairs. In winter, adults are browner, without the purple hue.Distribution
Common and widespread throughout most of the UK, though scarcer and more patchily distributed in northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.Did you know?
Shieldbugs are also known as 'stink bugs' due to their ability to release a strong-smelling fluid when threatened.
Bob Coyle
Our gardens are vital for wildlife
The UK's gardens provide more space for nature than all the National Nature Reserves put together.