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Cinnamon Bug

Corizus hyoscyami

1 photo

1 photographer

·Common · 1 pts

Striking red-and-black ground bug often found on soft fruit and flowers.

1 community photo of Cinnamon Bug on Things With Wings. Top-rated shots often use around 1/640ss shutter, 300mm.

Not evaluated for UK conservation status; common and widespread.

Lifespan: 1–2 years, typically overwinter as adults
Size & Weight: 8–10 mm long
Habitat: Open grasslands, heathland, field margins, and disturbed ground with low vegetation; favours warm, dry areas.
UK Distribution: Found throughout southern and central England, Wales, and the Midlands; scarcer in northern England and Scotland. Resident year-round.
Diet: Feeds on the sap of herbaceous plants, particularly members of the Solanaceae family such as nightshade; also takes other plant juices opportunistically.
Predators: Spiders, parasitoid wasps, ground beetles, and small birds such as warblers and robins.
Mating Season: May to September, with peak activity in summer.
Breeding: Females lay eggs in batches on or near host plants; nymphs develop through five instars over 6–8 weeks; typically one generation per year, occasionally two in warm years.
Behaviour: A sedentary bug that spends most of its time on or near host plants feeding. Adults and nymphs aggregate on vegetation during the growing season and seek shelter in leaf litter, bark crevices, and dead wood to overwinter. They produce a characteristic almond-like scent when disturbed.

Did You Know?

•Named for its distinctive cinnamon-brown colouration, particularly visible on the pronotum and wing membranes.
•The species name hyoscyami refers to its association with henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), a preferred food plant.
•It is one of the few UK true bugs (Hemiptera) strongly associated with toxic solanaceous plants.
•The bug uses its piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract nutrient-rich sap, causing minimal visible damage to plants.
•It can survive in relatively nutrient-poor habitats where other insects struggle, making it an ecological generalist within its preferred plant families.

Easily Confused With

Red-legged Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) — Larger (11–14 mm), shield-shaped body with clearly red legs and antennae; Cinnamon Bug is smaller, more elongate, and lacks prominent red coloration on legs.
Brown Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum) — Larger (11–14 mm) and more heavily built with a true shield shape; Cinnamon Bug is smaller, more oval, and more delicate in appearance.

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Shutter

1/640ss

ISO Range

1600

Aperture

f/f/16

Focal Length

300mm

🐛 Cinnamon Bug

Insect