Shieldbugs. (1 Viewer)

[Tammie]

Help With Bug ID Please!

Hello Forum,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what this strange looking bug is. It looks like it's almost armour plated. I see them everywhere around here but spotted this one sitting on the edge of my window feeder. Any ideas out there? Thanks!

 

[Tammie]

Shot #2

Here's a second angle of the same bug. Thanks for any help.

 

[cjay]

It is a Shield Bug related to the Order Hemiptera sub order Heteroptera. I cannot give it a name as it is not very clear but probably of the genus Dolycoris.

Hope this helps.

Colin J.

 

[SleepyLizard]

This one is Bug-ing me

Does anyone recognise this bug. Found on Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

 

[harry eales]

Does anyone recognise this bug. Found on Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

That's a doddle to ID Sleepy, it's the Gorse Shieldbug Piezodorus lituratus. (Fabricius).It's a very common species wherever Gorse and sometimes Broom occur.

Harry

 

[CJW]

D'you know, when I saw it, I thought "that's a shield-bug" and then thought "if it's on Gorse, it's bound to be called Gorse Shieldbug".

Wish I'd posted it now

 

[SleepyLizard]

Ha! Beleive it or not, when I first seen this I immediately though of Gorse Shield Bug, the name of which was dredged up from the murky, mud strewn depths of my mind. I looked it up on the internet and the two photos I looked at were nothing like mine so I was at a loss. Now that you've given me the scientific name I've found plenty of better pics. I guess that's one of the traps of the Internet. One novices misidentification causes problems for the next.

Thanks again Harry.

D'you know, when I saw it, I thought "that's a shield-bug" and then thought "if it's on Gorse, it's bound to be called Gorse Shieldbug".

Wish I'd posted it now

Yeah! You've gotta be quick around here aye!

 

[harry eales]

Hi Fellas,
It's not always that easy with Shieldbugs, I have found Hawthorn Shieldbug on almost every species of tree and bush that bears berries. Other Shieldbug species can be found on many species of tree and plants that aren't mentioned in the Textbooks.

There is very little modern literature on identification, the last book being the Land & Water Bugs of the British Isles. 1959. Copies are now selling at £125 upwards. A CD-ROM version is available from Pisces Conservation at about £55.00.

A good alternative for the Shieldbugs and a few closely related species is The Shieldbugs of Surrey by Roger D. Hawkins published by the Surrey Wildlife Trust, in hardback at £15.00. 2003. ISBN 0 9526065 7 7. Good Keys, emergence tables and lots of other goodies are included.

Surrey is probably the best county in Britain for Shieldbug species and I would certainly recommend this book to anyone interested in them. Good colour pictures of all the species, and their nymphs, that you are ever likely to come across elsewhere in Britain includes some possibly extinct species as well.

Before anyone asks I am not on a commission for sales, (more's the pity) lol.
Nor is it because one of my 'papers' gets a mention.

Harry.

 

[CJW]

Surrey is probably the best county in Britain for Shieldbug species

God Harry!! Don't be telling that to Ken - imagine the photos you'd end up sorting through! (Only kidding Ken, if you read this )

 

[harry eales]

God Harry!! Don't be telling that to Ken - imagine the photos you'd end up sorting through! (Only kidding Ken, if you read this )

Oh my God, Chris,
I've opened another can of worms. I had forgotten about Ken. Still he can take them to the author of the book for ID if he gets problems sorting them out.

Ken, if you read this, I only do ID's on Shieldbugs, all the other Homoptera/Hemiptera critters you'll have to take elsewhere.

 

[CJW]

Is this just a Hawthorn Shield Bug, Harry?

Photo taken today on the IOM

 

[harry eales]

Photo taken today on the IOM

Hi Chris,

No it's not a Hawthorn Shieldbug its a Sloe Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum It's the only Shieldbug with a hairy thorax which makes it identifiable from even a black and white photograph.

It's a rare species in my area, I have only ever seen one alive. Two other local records were made in the mid 1800's. It's habitat is woodland edges, hedgerows and roadside verges. A beautiful looking creature isn't it. Is it any commoner with you?

Harry.

 

[CJW]

It's the first one I've ever seen. It was passed to me today for ID and I thought, "hmm looks a bit odd, I'll ask me old mucker, Harry".
Cheers for that, I'll find out how rare/common they are over here.

 

[harry eales]

It's the first one I've ever seen. It was passed to me today for ID and I thought, "hmm looks a bit odd, I'll ask me old mucker, Harry".
Cheers for that, I'll find out how rare/common they are over here.

Hi Chris,
I don't think anyone knows just how common or rare most Shieldbug species are, there are so few recorders, if you have the data, i.e. locality, grid Ref, date of capture, collectors name, and how it was obtained, could you let me have it, and I will pass the info on to the National Recorder. There are no Provisional Atlas's or even any recent published data on distribution.

Harry

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Cracking insect Chris. Shield bugs definitely register highly on the cool-insect-ometer.

 

[harry eales]

It's the first one I've ever seen. It was passed to me today for ID and I thought, "hmm looks a bit odd, I'll ask me old mucker, Harry".
Cheers for that, I'll find out how rare/common they are over here.

Hi again chris,
I have Emailed the National recorder asking him if he can supply me with any information of any known previous records from the IoM. You never know you may have a new Isle of Man record there. I'll keep you posted.

Harry

 

[Angus T]

Right Harry, I'm going to start photographing these beast left right and centre.

There seems to be masses of them this year, though its probably only a couple of species. going to be masses of Ladybirds as well, not like in 1976, but it looks its going to be dripping with them soon.

 

[harry eales]

Right Harry, I'm going to start photographing these beast left right and centre.

There seems to be masses of them this year, though its probably only a couple of species. going to be masses of Ladybirds as well, not like in 1976, but it looks its going to be dripping with them soon.

Hi Angus,
It would be well worth doing and I am willing to ID the Shieldbugs for you, however, all the other species are strangers to me. Records from the Emerald Isle are few and far between. It's quite possible you will turn up something not only new to your County, but also your Country. I cannot understand why so few people record them.

Harry

 

[harry eales]

Should anyone have pictures of any U/K Shieldbugs they want identifying would they please contact me, via this forum or by PM and I will do my best to ID them for you. Any data, re. location, date of capture, grid ref, recorder and habitat would be appreciated, and records will be passed on to the National Recorder. These are a very interesting and much under-recorded group, and it is known that many are expanding their range in the UK. Nymphs can also be identified in most cases so please don't be shy in 'posting'.

There is an interesting article on them in the BBC Wildlife Magazine for
June 2004, but the illustrations do leave something to be desired.

Harry Eales.

 

[Jane Turner]

Brilliant... my garden is full of them.. I shall be out there with a camaer asap