# Red Shield Bug

*Carpocoris mediterraneus*

Their bright red and black striped pattern is a form of aposematism, warning birds and other predators of their highly unpalatable chemical defense.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hemiptera › Pentatomidae › Carpocoris
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Warm meadows, shrublands, roadsides, and agricultural field margins.
- **Diet:** Herbivorous, feeding on plant sap from various families, particularly Apiaceae (umbellifers) and Asteraceae.
- **Range:** Southern Europe, Mediterranean Basin, North Africa, Middle East
- **Size:** 11 to 13 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** About 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide application and intensive agricultural practices that eliminate wild flowering plants.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. You can safely observe this insect up close. If handled roughly, it may secrete a pungent, foul-smelling fluid from its scent glands as a defense. If contact occurs, wash skin with soap and water to remove the odor.

## About

Carpocoris mediterraneus , the Red shield bug , is a species of shield bug in the Pentatomidae family....

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5fa1f6bd-2ea8-4517-a31f-642f29c56fda
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/327154
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpocoris mediterraneus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/434506232/medium.jpg (Joey Bom, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.