Dolycoris baccarum

Dolycoris baccarum
	on Cumnor Hill, Oxfordshire
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Heteroptera
Infraorder:	Pentatomomorpha
Superfamily:	Pentatomoidea
Family:	Pentatomidae
Genus:	Dolycoris
Species:	D. baccarum
Binomial name
	Dolycoris baccarum; (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
	Aelia depressa Westwood, 1837; Cimex albidus Gmelin, 1790; Cimex subater Harris, 1780; Cimex verbasci DeGeer, 1773; Dolycoris brevipilis Reuter, 1891; Pentatoma inconcisa Walker, 1867; Cimex baccarum Linnaeus, 175;

Dolycoris baccarum, the Sloe Bug, is a species of shield bug in the family Pentatomidae.

Description

Dolycoris baccarum can reach a length of about 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in). The basic color of pronotum and elytra is quite variable, but usually it is reddish purple, while scutellum is ocher. During the winter the basic color is dull brown. The whole body is quite hairy. The antennae are made by 4-5 black and white sections and the margins of the abdomen are alternately mottled with whitish and black. The male and female are very similar.

This shield bug feeds on flowers and fruits of many plants, especially Rosaceae species. A related species encountered in Europe is Dolycoris numidicus.