harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
Jane Turner said:
Hi Jane,
Just as long as they are SHIELDBUGS and not just plantbugs. I think a camera is best for taking pictures of them, lol. Sorry, couldn't resist that. lol.
Harry
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Shieldbugs. (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Tammie
- Start date
Hi Jane,
Just as long as they are SHIELDBUGS and not just plantbugs. I think a camera is best for taking pictures of them, lol. Sorry, couldn't resist that. lol.
Harry
Jane Turner
Well-known member
How would I spot the difference?
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
Jane Turner said:
Hi Jane,
The great majority are fairly large and have the shape of a medieval 'Shield' as carried by soldiers in days of yore. If you can obtain a copy of the BBC Wildlife Magazine for June 2004, (just out) there is an article on them in there.
There are some 38 British Species inc. 5 supposedly extinct species, so there's not a lot to get used to identifying. A small, but very picturesque group of insects.
See also:-
http://www.david.element.ukgateway.net/bugs2shieldbugs2.htm.
Some good pictures there but some pics that are difficult to utilise
Harry
Last edited:
Jane Turner
Well-known member
all the bugs I call shield bugs look like medieval shields...this is good!
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
Michael Frankis said:
I was pondering over whether you had confused Hawthorn with Green Shieldbugs after your PM's Michael, however, if you are familiar with both species, it's looking good for the Green Shieldbug in south Northumberland. Have you come across the Birch Shieldbug?
Harry
Michael Frankis
conehead
Hi Harry,
Not knowingly, but looking at the pic on the website above, I suspect I'd have confused it with the Hawthorn SB, as the pattern of brown & green is similar. If the names mean anything, though, there's a lot of Hawthorn around here, but not much Birch - so perhaps unlikely?
Michael
Not knowingly, but looking at the pic on the website above, I suspect I'd have confused it with the Hawthorn SB, as the pattern of brown & green is similar. If the names mean anything, though, there's a lot of Hawthorn around here, but not much Birch - so perhaps unlikely?
Michael
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
Michael Frankis said:
Hello Michael,
I had suspected your Green shieldbug would be one or other of the species you mention. Both are in fact common throughout Northumberland and Durham. They are easily separated on size and shape alone. The Hawthorn shieldbug being much larger than the Birch.
The Birch Shieldbug sticks very much to it's own foodplant whereas the Hawthorn shieldbug can be found on numerous berry bearing trees in gardens, hedgerows and woodlands.
A species very similar to the Birch Shieldbug is the Juniper Shieldbug which I have found on wild Juniper in the uplands of both counties. Until fairly recently this was in severe national decline due to the loss of it's foodplant, however, down south it had adapted to feed on Lawsons Cypress a fairly common garden tree in southern England. It hasn't been recorded on this tree locally. It is suspected that this bug has been imported accidently, along with the trees from abroad. I suppose that DNA testing could determine that, but it's beyond my technical ability, and also my wallets ability to pay to have it done. lol.
An excellent book if your interested is: Shieldbugs of Surrey by Roger D. Hawkins. 2003. At £15.00 for a hardback book it's very good value. 192 pages and colour photographs of all the British Shieldbugs. You could ask your local library to get a copy for you to read.
Harry
dylan
Well-known member
Hello Harry, here's one for you.
I've had this photo on my website for quite a while with 'colourful beetle/bug' as a rather poor description. An ID so I can put a proper description would be appreciated.
Probably too long ago to be useful for your records - It landed on my spotting scope case whilst out birding on Headley Heath Surrey 11th Sept 2002!
Dylan.
I've had this photo on my website for quite a while with 'colourful beetle/bug' as a rather poor description. An ID so I can put a proper description would be appreciated.
Probably too long ago to be useful for your records - It landed on my spotting scope case whilst out birding on Headley Heath Surrey 11th Sept 2002!
Dylan.
Attachments
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
Reader said:
Hello Reader,
Your specimen is the Forest Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes (Linnaeus 1758). The clues are the very distinctive shape of the 'shoulders', the red tip to the scutellum*, the red legs and red basal segments to the antennae.
It is one of the widely distributed Shieldbugs and also one of the commonest.
It's specific name 'rufipes' means red-legged. The nymphs are carnivors and suck the juices out of lepidopterous larvae.
* The great majority of specimens have a red tip on the scutellum. However, I have occasionally encountered specimens where this red tip has been replaced by orange, yellow or white.
Like many other species of Hemiptera, occasional specimens are attracted to light. It is mainly to be found wherever Oak occurs, but can be beaten from many other trees which support large numbers of lepidopterous larvae.
Harry
headington7
Well-known member
Shield Bug
Hi Harry ! I have spotted several shield bugs on my rhubarb,on my allotment.Quite big and green,with a small shield shape within the shield shape itself.They seem to like walking around on the leaves !These are in Headington,Oxford.What might they be ? Also a brown one.
Mervyn.
Hi Harry ! I have spotted several shield bugs on my rhubarb,on my allotment.Quite big and green,with a small shield shape within the shield shape itself.They seem to like walking around on the leaves !These are in Headington,Oxford.What might they be ? Also a brown one.
Mervyn.
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
Reader said:
Hi again Reader,
Insects, like many other creatures do turn up in the strangest of places. Willow does support a good number of lepidopterous larvae so it's quite possible it came from one of these trees. Being winged, they can and do disperse over a wide area, so they can turn up anywhere. As I said they are not confined to a specific tree, they can be found in hawthorn hedges, on fruit trees and bushes indeed anywhere they can find food. Oak is popular with Forest Shieldbugs sinply because more insect larvae can be found on this tree than any other.
Harry
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
dylan said:
Hello Dylan,
The angle of your picture doesn't give a good view of the 'shoulders' or the shape of the 'shield'. However based on the fact that we only have three green and red shieldbugs and only one of these has red tips to it's legs I'm sure it is Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorroidale (Linnaeus 1758)
If you type the name into Google you should find several pictures of it which you may recognise. It is a common species over most of Britain.
Harry
Jane Turner
Well-known member
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
headington7 said:
Hello Mervyn,
All Shieldbugs have that small shield shape within the overall shield shape, the inner shield is the scutellum. There are several species of shieldbug which are varying shades of green and also several which are brown. To add to the complication of colour, many species change colour in the autumn or do not attain their full colouring until after hibernation. Without a picture I'm afraid it's impossible to identify them from your description, sorry. None of the Shieldbugs are attached to Rhubarb the leaves of which are poisonous to most creatures. It's more likely they were basking in the sunshine.
Harry
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Ah no... its shorter than Hawthorn - actually it looks most like the Sloe one CJW posted, but without the hairs... I'm sure you will ID it Harry!
harry eales
Ancient Entomologist
Jane Turner said:
Hi Jane,
No it's not a Hawthorne Shieldbug, it's A Sloe Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus 1758) A nice fresh specimen by the look of it. I wish I saw more of them up north.
regards,
Harry
Jane Turner
Well-known member
I'm pretty far north! Map ref = SJ214893, taken today!
