Black-Shouldered Shieldbug

Black-Shouldered Shieldbug

Carpocoris purpureipennis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Cévennes National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

125 Verified sightings at Cévennes National Park From 2019 to 2026
391 In all 11 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-Shouldered Shieldbug

Carpocoris purpureipennis is a species of shield bug of the family Pentatomidae, subfamily Pentatominae. This species can be found in most of Europe and in central Asia. They live in meadows, roadsides, edges of forests and gardens.

Carpocoris purpureipennis can reach a length of 11–13 millimetres (0.43–0.51 in). The pronotum is wide with a regular punctuation, almost straight and slightly pointed lateral margins with blunt tips. Also the lateral edges of the scutellum are nearly straight.

The body color varies from purple or reddish-brown to yellowish. The pronotum angles are black. Moreover pronotum usually shows short longitudinal black stripes, while the scutellum may have some contrasting black spots. Antennae are black and legs are orange.

This species is quite similar to, and can be easily confused with Carpocoris pudicus, C. fuscispinus, and C. mediterraneus. Both the adult bugs and their nymphs are polyphagous. Adults mainly feed on juices of Cirsium arvense and nectar of Leucanthemum vulgare.

In late May-early June these insects lay eggs on various herbaceous plants of the family of cereals (Poaceae), legumes... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~30%
2 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
3 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
4 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
5 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
6 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
7 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
8 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
9 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~10%
10 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
11 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kharkiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
2 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
3 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
4 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
5 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
6 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
7 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
8 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
~10%
9 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
~10%
10 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-Shouldered Shieldbug in Cévennes National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Shouldered Shieldbug sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 125 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 38th most-seen of the 996 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-Shouldered Shieldbug in Cévennes National Park?

July and August

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Shouldered Shieldbug in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and November–January, the lowest months. Those are among Cévennes National Park's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain a month against 260 mm in October.

What time of day is best to see a Black-Shouldered Shieldbug?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Shouldered Shieldbug sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Cévennes National Park the best place to see a Black-Shouldered Shieldbug?

2nd of 11

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Black-Shouldered Shieldbug sightings, Cévennes National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Black-Shouldered Shieldbug live in Cévennes National Park?

Same genus: Carpocoris

The closest relatives of the Black-Shouldered Shieldbug that you can see in Cévennes National Park (genus Carpocoris) are Red Shield Bug (about 10%) and Northern Fruit Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Black-Shouldered Shieldbug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-Shouldered Shieldbug is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (125 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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