• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Shieldbugs. (1 Viewer)

kris said:
This is very similar to a Nezara viridula but it's not green and I found it on a thistle head in a wood in North Notts.
Any ideas !

Hello Kris,
What you photographed is a late instar nymph of the Sloe Bug Dolycoris baccarum Its favourite habitat is flowers along woodland edges or clearings, but like many other shieldbugs it can turn up in other situations elsewhere within its range. The clue that gives it away, are the fine hairs around the head and thorax.

There are some photographs of this species in the Shieldbugs ID column in this section of Bird Forum.

Ref. Nezara viridula Until recently this species was an accidental import with fruit and vegetables from the continent. However, in the past two years it appears that it has become established as a breeding species in southeast England.

Harry
 
Last edited:
Thanks a lot. Did see the section on the shield bugs after I posted but I still wasn't too sure. Thanks for the new info on the Nezara viridula
 
I came home from Sheepwash Urban Park, near Dudley (having gone for the imm Night Heron) and when I returned home opened my log book and this was tucked away inbetween the pages.

Any ideas?
 

Attachments

  • Mystery 7980.jpg
    Mystery 7980.jpg
    79.6 KB · Views: 289
  • Mystery 7989.jpg
    Mystery 7989.jpg
    128.1 KB · Views: 275
Reader said:
I came home from Sheepwash Urban Park, near Dudley (having gone for the imm Night Heron) and when I returned home opened my log book and this was tucked away inbetween the pages.

Any ideas?

Hi Reader,
Oh yes, I know what it is. A Birch Shieldbug Elasmostethus interstinctus A common species over most of the British Isles. A nice specimen as well.

Harry

Next please. lol.
 
Last edited:
Unknown Welsh Bug

I took this pic at South Stack earlier this year - any idea what it is?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7451.jpg
    IMG_7451.jpg
    135 KB · Views: 371
Confirmation please

Morning,

Am I right calling this Pentatoma rufipes?

Thanks,

André
 

Attachments

  • wants1.jpg
    wants1.jpg
    7.2 KB · Views: 340
  • wants2.jpg
    wants2.jpg
    7.5 KB · Views: 297
sloe bug - Dolycoris baccarum - see the shieldbugs thread, there is a quite recent picture that I put there and Harry Eales confirmed the ID.

Hugh
 
gusford said:
I took this pic at South Stack earlier this year - any idea what it is?

Hello Hugh,
You'll have to read the Shieldbug thread sometime. There are several pictures of this Shieldbug and a pic of a nymph.

It is the Sloe bug D.baccarum. Just about everyone's seeing them but me
this year. (sob).

Harry
 
jonafly said:
Morning,

Am I right calling this Pentatoma rufipes?

Thanks,

André

Hello Andre,
Yes you are correct, it is P.rufipes. Its common English name is The Forest Shieldbug, but it is by no means confined to woodland, it is also frequent in gardens and parks. The shape of the 'shoulders' is distinctive and diagnostic in this species, as are the red legs and the red spot at the base of the scutellum. One of the commonest species in Britain, and on the continent.

Harry
 
Last edited:
Shield Bug from Budapest

Dear Harry
Not sure if this one might also occur in the UK - if so, could you let me know what it is? Much bright, lighter green than shows in the photo.
best
David
 

Attachments

  • 2004_0810_101932AA.JPG
    2004_0810_101932AA.JPG
    34.3 KB · Views: 269
black52bird said:
Dear Harry
Not sure if this one might also occur in the UK - if so, could you let me know what it is? Much bright, lighter green than shows in the photo.
best
David

Hi David,
I might still be able to ID this shieldbug, but I need the picture brightening up. I have tried to download it with the intention of doing just that, but my software will not permit me to do so.

Can you do this with your software? and then post it up again. Altering the exposure or contrast should do it, if you can try and get it to as near natural colour as you can.

There are lot more Shieldbugs in Europe than in Britain, but I do have a German book (very heavy going as it is in the German language) which covers most of the continental countries at least as far as the Shieldbugs go.

Harry
 
harry eales said:
Hi David,
I might still be able to ID this shieldbug, but I need the picture brightening up. I have tried to download it with the intention of doing just that, but my software will not permit me to do so.

Harry

Is this any good Harry?
 

Attachments

  • 2004_0810_101932AA.JPG
    2004_0810_101932AA.JPG
    39.6 KB · Views: 328
Reader said:
Is this any good Harry?

Hello Reader and David,
First many thanks Reader for the improved clarity of the photograph.

Now the bad news, It's not a British or a western European species of Shieldbug. It is similar, but not identical, to Pitedia juniperina a fairly common continental species, unfortunately extinct in Britain since 1925. There is no other species that I have knowledge of, that it even resembles.

There are several green Shieldbugs both here and on the continent but this specimen does not appear in any of the identification books in my posession. In other words, I'm stuck.

If you still have the specimen David could you let me know the overall length of the beast from head to tail, not including the antennae. If you can, I will try and access some of the more obscure Russian and Eastern European Websites to see if I can find out what it is.

Not being able to ID it is really bugging me (pun intended).

Harry
 
Hi,

below taken Stockton 5th August. I get a few shieldbugs but this is the first I have attempted (it was rather active) to photograph. I guess it is forest sheldbug from above post?

Regards,
Jamie
 

Attachments

  • shield.jpg
    shield.jpg
    44.9 KB · Views: 317
J Duffie said:
Hi,

below taken Stockton 5th August. I get a few shieldbugs but this is the first I have attempted (it was rather active) to photograph. I guess it is forest sheldbug from above post?

Regards,
Jamie

Hi Jamie,
Your spot on with your ID. It is the Forest Shieldbug. Could you let me have the Grid Reference for your sighting I will add it to my local database. I'm always looking for additional records for Northumberland and Durham and would welcome any from your area. Even the commonest species are much under-recorded.

Regards,

Harry
 
Hi,

about 5 shield bugs around the garden moth traps this morning. Here is a picture of one. I guess from above it is Hawthorne or Birch but not sure how to separate. If you let me know I will try to id them in future

Thanks,
Jamie
 

Attachments

  • shield2.jpg
    shield2.jpg
    40.8 KB · Views: 505

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top