Cotton Stainer Bug vs Cinnamon Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cotton Stainer Bug Cinnamon Bug
Scientific Name Dysdercus suturellus Corizus hyoscyami
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Pyrrhocoridae Rhopalidae
Size 12-17 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Heathland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Seed Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions North America, Central America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cotton Stainer Bug

A red and black bug that stains cotton bolls by introducing fungal spores while feeding.

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Did You Know?

Aggregations of hundreds gather on fallen cotton bolls and hibiscus seed pods.

Cinnamon Bug

A bright red-and-black scentless plant bug that mimics fire bugs and other aposematic insects. Despite its warning coloration, it is harmless and feeds on the seeds of various weedy plants.

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Did You Know?

It is often mistaken for the unrelated fire bug due to its similar red-and-black pattern, a likely case of Mullerian mimicry.