# cruciferous bug

*Eurydema ventralis*

Their bright red and black coloration is aposematic, warning potential predators of their foul taste and toxic chemical defenses.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hemiptera › Pentatomidae › Eurydema
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Agricultural fields, vegetable gardens, meadows, and waste ground with brassica plants.
- **Diet:** Plant sap, specifically from cruciferous plants like cabbage, mustard, radish, and rapeseed.
- **Range:** Europe, North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia
- **Size:** 8 to 10 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** Up to 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Widespread use of chemical insecticides in agriculture.
- **Safe to approach?:** This species is completely harmless to humans. However, if handled roughly, it may release a pungent, foul-smelling chemical defense from its thoracic glands. Observe its striking coloration from a close distance, and wash your hands with soap and water if you happen to touch one.

## About

Eurydema ventralis is a species of shield bugs belonging to the family Pentatomidae, subfamily Pentatominae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/c92cb7eb-b42e-4bc6-ada6-107e44261efa
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/327172
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurydema ventralis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/14831313/medium.jpeg (Kostas Zontanos, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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