Bug FAQGorse Shield Bug
Piezodorus lituratus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Pentatomidae
Also called: Stink bug, Gorse Shieldbug
Source: Wikipedia
The gorse shield bug is a 10 to 13 mm true bug that comes in green spring forms and reddish-summer forms. It lives in dry, warm places with sandy soil where its host legumes grow, and it is found across Europe, Africa, northern Asia and parts of North America. Females lay eggs on host plants in late spring, nymphs develop through summer, and adults overwinter as fully grown insects.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults appear green in spring and develop purplish-red markings on the pronotum and wings in late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 10 to 13 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They occupy any habitat that contains their legume hosts, preferring dry, warm sites with sandy ground.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They feed on a variety of legumes such as common broom, dyer's greenweed, alfalfa, vetches, sweet-clover, crown vetch, sainfoin and lupin.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Mating occurs from May to July and females deposit 10 to 20 eggs on stems, leaves or fruits of host plants. Nymphs are present through September, and the new summer adults appear in late July or early August, overwintering as adults.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
New summer adults can be seen from late July onward, and they spend the winter in the adult stage.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their range includes most of Europe, Africa, northern Asia (except China) and parts of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It may be mistaken for the green shieldbug, but it differs by its habitat preference and red antennae.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
Does the gorse shield bug damage garden plants?
Yes, it feeds on many legume garden plants and can reduce yields of crops like alfalfa and vetch.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a gorse shield bug apart from a green shieldbug?
Look for red antennae and note that gorse shield bugs prefer dry, sandy habitats, unlike the green shieldbug.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pentatomidae)
Brown Marmorated Stink BugHalyomorpha halysDamages trees, gardens or crops
Green Stink BugChinavia hilarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Harlequin BugMurgantia histrionicaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown Stink BugEuschistus servusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Green Shield BugPalomena prasina
European Striped Shield BugGraphosoma italicumSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezodorus_lituratus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.