Bug FAQHawthorn Shield Bug
Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Acanthosomatidae
Also called: Hawthorn Shieldbug
The hawthorn shield bug can reach about 17 mm in length and shows a dark green trapezoidal band on its back, plus red-coloured front wings and eyes. It lives across Europe, especially in southern Britain, and feeds mainly on hawthorn berries but will also eat oak and whitebeam leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
A dark green trapezoidal band runs from the pronotum to the forewing membrane, covering the last third of the body. When at rest the front wings lie flat and are dark red, and the compound eyes are also red.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It feeds by injecting saliva enzymes into plant tissue, partially digesting it, and then sucking up the liquid.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In Britain and north-western Europe the bug is active from April to October, though it may reappear in winter after hibernation when warm weather occurs.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Its period of activity is generally April through October, with occasional winter reappearances during warm spells.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The hawthorn shield bug is a common European shield bug.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do hawthorn shield bugs eat?
They mainly eat hawthorn berries but will also feed on the leaves of hawthorn, oak and whitebeam trees.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see hawthorn shield bugs?
They are usually active from April to October, though they may show up in winter if the weather gets warm.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Acanthosomatidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorn_shield_bug
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.