About Rhacognathus punctatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rhacognathus punctatus (Linnaeus, 1758) adults reach a body length of 7 to 9 millimetres, which equals 0.28 to 0.35 inches. This species is a predatory stink bug, also called a shieldbug. It has a mottled metallic bronze-brown body, extended shoulder structures, a pale longitudinal line on its pronotum, and dark brown legs with a whitish band on the tibia. Females of this species lay their eggs during May and June, and adults can be found throughout the year. Adult Rhacognathus punctatus prey on the larvae of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, particularly feeding on the larvae of Lochmaea caprea and Lochmaea suturalis. This species occurs across most of Europe. It prefers to live in the edges of heaths, moors, and lowland mires.
