Shield Bugs | macro

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The Birch Shield Bug is green, red and brown - similar to the Hawthorn Shield Bug. But it is smaller, has slightly duller colouration and does not have the projecting shoulders. A smaller relative of the Hawthorn Shield Bug, adults of the Birch Shield Bug are particularly abundant in the early autumn. They go into hibernation over the winter, re-emerging in spring to lay their eggs. The nymphs hatch and develop in summer, feeding on Birch and sometimes Hazel.

Pentatoma rufipes

One of a group of three brown shield bugs with shoulder 'spikes', the Forest Bug is best distinguished by its square-cut shoulder 'spikes' and black- and cream-chequered flanks. At first glance, the Forest Bug appears similar to the other 'spiked' shield bug species; however, the shoulders are square-cut and rounded at the front, which makes it quickly identifiable. It is also found in different habitats to other shield bugs: the Forest Bug is mainly herbivorous, feeding on the sap of deciduous trees, particularly oaks growing along sheltered woodland edges or in clearings. This species overwinters as a nymph, the adults are present from July to November, and eggs are laid in August.

There are two species of Green Shield Bug in the UK - one native (the Common Green Shield Bug) and which arrived very recently from Europe (the Southern Green Shield Bug). The latter can be distinguished from the former by its uniformly green colour and pale wing membranes. The Common Green Shield Bug is bright green with tiny black dots and dark wings. The similar Gorse Shield Bug has dark grey sides. A recent beneficiary of climate change, the Green Shield Bug was once restricted to southern England. In recent years, however, Green Shield Bugs have been on the march, and are now common and widespread across much of England and Wales, and spreading ever northwards. The Green Shield Bug feeds on a wide variety of plants, helping to make this one species which could turn up anywhere from garden to farm. Adults overwinter and emerge in spring, laying their eggs on the undersides of leaves. The rounded nymphs appear in June and new adults are present in early autumn.

There are five similar green and red shield bugs. The Gorse Shield Bug is more rounded than the Hawthorn Shield Bug, while the Hairy Shield Bug is covered in short hairs and has a black- and white-chequered pattern around the edge of the body. The Birch Shield Bug and Juniper Shield Bug are both similar in shape to the Hawthorn Shield Bug, but are much smaller and have a different red and green pattern. The shield bug which you are most likely to come across is our largest species, the Hawthorn Shield Bug. This handsome green and red invertebrate can be found wherever suitable shrubby foodplants are available. Eggs are laid in spring and, over the summer, the nymphs feed on ripening red berries, particularly Hawthorn, but also feed Rowan, Whitebeam and Cotoneaster. The adults appear from late August and will often wander quite far from their foodplant, occasionally being attracted to lights at night, when they may turn up in moth traps. The adults go into hibernation in the late autumn, and then re-emerge to breed in the spring.

The Parent Bug is only likely to be confused with the Birch Shield Bug, which also feeds on Birch catkins. The Birch Shield Bug is more brightly coloured, with plain green sides to the body, whereas the Parent Bug is duller in colour, with a black- and cream-chequered pattern along its sides. Also largely tied to Silver Birch, the peculiar Parent Bug looks much like the Birch Shield Bug at first glance. But closer examination of the flanks will show that where the Birch Shield Bug is pale green, the Parent Bug is banded with black and cream. The real difference, however, can be seen in their behaviour. Whilst the other shield bugs lay their eggs and then leave their young to fend for themselves, the Parent Bug is a dedicated mother. She lays her eggs in a tight cluster on the underside of a Birch leaf, and then she broods her clutch, sitting protectively over the eggs until they hatch. She stays with her family until the young finally become adults.

A large and distinctive purple-brown and greenishshieldbug which is covered with long hairs. The antennae and connexivum are banded black and white. During the winter, the ground colour becomes uniformly dull brown.
This bug overwinters as an adult, emerging in the spring. Larvae, which are also hairy, may be found on numerous plants, particularly those in the Roasaceae. The new generation is complete from August onwards.
Common and widepsread in many habitats throughout Britain, particularly hedgerows and woodland edges, becoming scarcer and mainly coastal in the north.

Blue Shieldbug - Zicrona caerulea

Length 5-7 mm. A medium-sized dark shieldbug with a deep blue-green metallic sheen and a dark wing membrane. The nymphs can resemble early instars of Troilus luridus but the legs of Zicrona caerulea are all dark rather than mottled and the head and pronotum are distinctly bluish.