Graphosoma italicum
Graphosoma italicum is a species of shield bug in the family Pentatomidae. It is also known as the Striped bug (or Italian striped bug) and Minstrel bug. Description. "G. italicum" can reach a length of . The body is almost round, with a large shield. The basic color of the upperside of the body is red, with wide black longitudinal stripes. The pronotum has six black bands. The antennae are black. Also the sides of the abdominal segments (connexivum) are red with many small black spots. The legs are mostly black, which distinguishes it from its relative, "G. lineatum . Taxonomy. Graphosoma italicum" had been regarded as either a subspecies, or a synonym, of "G. lineatum" for over 100 years, so nearly all of the existing literature prior to 2007 referred to this species under the name "lineatum". The validity of "G. italicum" was reestablished via DNA analysis, which demonstrated that the sister species to "G. italicum" is "G. rubrolineatum", while "G. lineatum" is more closely related to "G. semipunctatum". Distribution. "G. italicum" is distributed across the Western Palearctic and occurs in the entire Mediterranean area, with the northern limit of distribution fluctuating strongly. In recent decades, the northern border  in western and central Europe has expanded strongly to the north, so that the species now occurs as far as the North Sea and Baltic Sea (Jutland and southern Sweden). In Germany, the type occurs everywhere with exception of the northwest and is not rare regionally. In Austria, it is widespread, but only locally frequent. The insects populate open to half-shady areas in dry to more humid habitats. The subspecies "G. i. sardiniensis" occurs only in Sardinia. Biology. "G. lineatum" is an insect of warm and sunny areas. It prefers warm slopes and meadows located on south-facing slopes . The orange and black warning colours (aposematism) indicate that the insects are foul-tasting, protecting them from predators. The nymphs do not have the orange-black stripe pattern, instead they are mostly brownish. These shield bugs are frequently found on the umbels of Apiaceae ("Daucus", "Heracleum", "Anthriscus", "Foeniculum", etc.), plants which themselves are chemically-protected.