Most shield bugs live among plants and feed on seeds and fruits that they pierce with their beak-like mouthparts. They are quite common and are usually seen throughout the summer. Some are very well camouflaged and it requires a studied look in order to spot them.

It is the broad, flattened bodies of these bugs (which are shaped like heraldic shields) that give them their name. They give off a distinctive but not unpleasant smell. Just like beetles, they fly with their hindwings, which they cover with their forewings when at rest.