Bug FAQJuniper Shield Bug
Cyphostethus tristriatus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Acanthosomatidae
Also called: Juniper Shieldbug
Source: Wikipedia
The juniper shield bug is a large green bug about 9 to 10.5 mm long with pink-red marks on its wings. It lives mainly where juniper or cypress are planted, now common in southern and central England. Adults survive the winter and mate in early spring; new adults appear from late August.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It has distinctive pink-red markings on the corium of its wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 9 to 10.5 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In the UK it is now common in gardens and woodlands where juniper or cypress are grown.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The bug feeds on juniper, with larvae eating the berries, and it also uses Lawson cypress as a host.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults overwinter, emerge to mate in early spring, and new adults can be seen from late August onward.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are active most of the year except for the coldest months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It was once scarce, limited to southern juniper woodlands, but has spread with garden plantings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States; introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the juniper shield bug eat?
It feeds on juniper berries and can also use Lawson cypress as a host plant.
Source: Wikipedia
When are juniper shield bugs active?
They are active throughout most of the year, except during the coldest months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where might I find juniper shield bugs in my garden?
They are common in gardens and woodlands where juniper or cypress are planted, especially in southern and central England.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Acanthosomatidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper_shield_bug
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.