Bronze Shield Bug

Troilus luridus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Pentatomidae

Also called: Bronze Shieldbug

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Bronze Shield Bug
Photo: Sandy Rae, CC BY

The bronze shield bug is about 10 to 12 mm long and lives on trees, though only a few are found in the lower branches. It feeds on plant sap but also hunts larvae of beetles, moths and sawflies, needing live prey for development. Adults overwinter, emerge in spring, lay eggs in early summer, develop in about ten days at warm temperatures, and new adults appear from July onward.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Adults measure roughly 10 to 12 mm in length.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

They live on trees, with only a small portion found in the lower branches.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

They drink plant sap and also prey on larvae of beetles, lepidoptera and sawflies.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Adults survive the winter and, depending on temperature, become active in April. Eggs are laid in May-June in batches that start around 21 and shrink to one or two per batch. At 19-20 °C, eggs develop in 10-12 days. The bug has five instars; the first instar is plant-sap feeding and gregarious. New adults can be seen from July onward, depending on temperature, humidity and prey availability.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Adults emerge in spring (April) and new adults appear from July onward.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Bronze Shield Bug photo 2
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0
Bronze Shield Bug photo 3
Photo: Sandy Rae, CC BY
Bronze Shield Bug photo 4
Photo: Aaron Chidwick, CC BY
Bronze Shield Bug photo 5
Photo: Chris D Thomas, CC BY

Questions people ask

What do bronze shield bugs eat?

They feed on plant sap and also hunt larvae of beetles, moths and sawflies.

Source: Wikipedia

When are bronze shield bugs active?

Adults emerge in April, lay eggs in May-June, and new adults appear from July onward.

Source: Wikipedia

How big are bronze shield bugs?

They are about 10 to 12 mm long.

Source: Wikipedia

Where do bronze shield bugs live?

They live on trees, with only a small fraction found in the lower branches.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Pentatomidae)

Brown Marmorated Stink BugBrown Marmorated Stink BugHalyomorpha halysDamages trees, gardens or cropsGreen Stink BugGreen Stink BugChinavia hilarisDamages trees, gardens or cropsHarlequin BugHarlequin BugMurgantia histrionicaDamages trees, gardens or cropsBrown Stink BugBrown Stink BugEuschistus servusDamages trees, gardens or cropsGreen Shield BugGreen Shield BugPalomena prasinaEuropean Striped Shield BugEuropean Striped Shield BugGraphosoma italicum

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troilus_luridus

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

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