Corizus hyocyami in a Malvern Garden

Frank Screen

I was pleased to see the photograph of Corizus hyocyami in the April edition of Worcestershire Record (32) as this confirmed my identification of this bug. On 25th May I found this bright red bug with black markings in a wild patch in my garden and immediately thought of Pyrrhcoris apterus. However my books did not confirm this. I photographed the bug again on 31st May, this time on an unopened dandelion seed head with its rostrum pushed into the seed head. On 1st June on the same dandelion was a mating pair (Fig. 1.). They were being molested by a Sloe Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum who considered the spot to be its own and even tried to dislodge them by pushing its head under them.

Image

Fig. 1. Corizus hyocyami mating pair in dandelion seed head with Slow Bugs Dolycoris baccarum nearby. Frank Screen

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Fig. 1. Corizus hyocyami mating pair in dandelion seed head with Slow Bugs Dolycoris baccarum nearby. Frank Screen