Shieldbugs. (1 Viewer)

[Fuchsia]

Not seen any species myself for a couple of weeks so good to know they are still active somewhere.

Yep - they're all in my bedroom!! I share it with a gazillion Raphigaster nebulosa in the Winter. Don't mind apart from when they land on me and squirt me when I brush them off! :C

 

[Surreybirder]

One for Harry

I found this while looking for leaf-miners this a.m.
Is it a friend of yours, Harry?
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

Hello Steve,
He who never makes mistakes, never makes anything. I have made some really big ones myself, like getting divorced six months before my ex wife inherited 3/4 of a million. Ouch.

Re: changing colour, have you never sunbathed? lol. I change colour dramatically once a year............... When I have my annual bath. Boom, Boom.

Harry

Just read that and wish I hadn't
Looks like the one I've put in the previous post might be a birch sb? It was in woodland with a lot of birch, some oak, some broadleaved trees I'm not sure of (hornbeam or beech?), wild apple, honeysuckle, holly but not much hawthorn. It was about 1cm long (not counting legs and antennae).
Ken

 

[harry eales]

I found this while looking for leaf-miners this a.m.
Is it a friend of yours, Harry?
Ken

Hello Ken,

It is a friend of mine, A Hawthorn Shieldbug. A tad late for one up here in the north-east but as your probably several degrees warmer down south, they may be out for another week or two.

Added:- Most Shieldbugs are not confined to the foodplant they may be named after. The Hawthorn Shieldbug can be found on almost and berry bearing tree or shrub, even on soft fruit. At other times they may be found on other tree species, possibly looking for a place to hibernate, especially at this time of year.
Harry

Cassanova and Drunk of this Parish. :flowers: B

 

[Surreybirder]

Thanks, Harry!

 

[steve covey]

A new one - I hope!

Found this totally by accident today when I stopped to photograph an interesting fungi on a mown grass verge at Amesbury, Wilts. I hope I'm right in identifying this as a Juniper Shieldbug as it will be a new one for me! :bounce:
Cheers,

Steve.

 

[Fuchsia]

That is really pretty ))

 

[steve covey]

That is really pretty ))

Yes, I agree, particularly the wings - they look like stained glass. It's quite small as well, probably 10-12mm long. It was sat on the grass next to a fungus I originally stopped to photograph. I hope the owners of the house didn't notice me out on their front grass strip. Not sure if it was theirs or council owned which they mow anyway!
The hedge dividing their garden from said strip was beech - no Juniper or any other conifer nearby. But as Harry said before they do move around a bit.
Any way, Harry please put me out of my misery and tell me I've got it right - I'm dying to add it to my species list!
Steve.

 

[Fuchsia]

No doubt about it I'd say! I'm looking forward to seeing one. I have a mental picture of you sitting with camera outside someone's house - if they come out sit very still and they might think you're a gnome!

http://www.rutkies.de/wanzen/Cyphostethus tristriatus - Stachelwanze 02.html

Jen

 

[harry eales]

Found this totally by accident today when I stopped to photograph an interesting fungi on a mown grass verge at Amesbury, Wilts. I hope I'm right in identifying this as a Juniper Shieldbug as it will be a new one for me! :bounce:
Cheers,

Steve.

Hello Steve,
You are correct it is a Juniper Shieldbug. It has become very widespread in southern England (south of The Wash) since adapting to feed on several Juniper related species like Lawsons Cypress. It's still confined to wild Juniper in the north-eastern counties.

If you have a look around the area where you found it, I'm pretty sure you will locate it's modern foodplant in the immediate vicinity. The points of ID are visible in your photograph, the reddish boomerang shaped forewing markings, the basal segment of the antennae not extending beyond the head and the two segmented feet.

Harry
Cassanova and Drunk of this Parish. :flowers: B

 

[steve covey]

Hello Steve,
You are correct it is a Juniper Shieldbug. It has become very widespread in southern England (south of The Wash) since adapting to feed on several Juniper related species like Lawsons Cypress. It's still confined to wild Juniper in the north-eastern counties.

If you have a look around the area where you found it, I'm pretty sure you will locate it's modern foodplant in the immediate vicinity. The points of ID are visible in your photograph, the reddish boomerang shaped forewing markings, the basal segment of the antennae not extending beyond the head and the two segmented feet.

Harry
Cassanova and Drunk of this Parish. :flowers: B

Thanks Harry [and Jen],
there probably were Cypress or similar in one of the gardens around there - but I felt too self conscious to start staring into all the gardens. I don't know what the penalty is for being a peeping tom these days :eek!:
The other thing that stood out was it's small size compared to most other species I've seen to date [about 10mm ish].
Cheers,

Steve.

 

[Angus T]

Steve/Harry,

Would either of you post details of the new ID book please?

 

[steve covey]

Steve/Harry,

Would either of you post details of the new ID book please?

Hi Angus,
the book is available via the authors website at: http://www.wildguideuk.com/
Cheers,

Steve.

 

[harry eales]

Steve/Harry,

Would either of you post details of the new ID book please?

Hello Angus,
Steve has already beaten me to it with the web address. You can buy on line if you have paypal or one or two other internet banks.
If you click onto the URL and wait until the first page appears you will see just below the top banner the words, 'Whats New' in small print. Click on this and it will take you to a list of publications, where you will find the book

Harry.

 

[Angus T]

You're both quick off the mark

Thanks.

 

[steve covey]

A Great First for the New Season

Hi All,
the new season is off to a great start for me. Visiting my farm study site I found my first Pied Shieldbug. :bounce: Apparently not rare but not easy to find. It was sat out basking on a dead log and the black and white just caught my eye. Unfortunately it was camera shy and so this was the best I could get as it kept moving away from the lens |[email protected]|. I also have to admit I didn't realise what it was till I got home and checked my pics against the literature. Had I realised I might have persevered for a better shot. Oh well still time, peak emergence not reached yet.
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[harry eales]

Hi All,
the new season is off to a great start for me. Visiting my farm study site I found my first Pied Shieldbug. :bounce: Apparently not rare but not easy to find. It was sat out basking on a dead log and the black and white just caught my eye. Unfortunately it was camera shy and so this was the best I could get as it kept moving away from the lens |[email protected]|. I also have to admit I didn't realise what it was till I got home and checked my pics against the literature. Had I realised I might have persevered for a better shot. Oh well still time, peak emergence not reached yet.
Cheers,
Steve.

Nice one Steve,

It may not be rare in your area, but their like live Dodo's up here. No one has found a specimen locally for over 150 years. The log on which you found it may have been it's overwintering site. It would be worth looking at again on your next visit, there may well be more.

Harry

 

[steve covey]

Nice one Steve,

It may not be rare in your area, but their like live Dodo's up here. No one has found a specimen locally for over 150 years. The log on which you found it may have been it's overwintering site. It would be worth looking at again on your next visit, there may well be more.

Harry

Hi Harry, I'm only quoting the Surrey Shieldbugs book so don't know of it's status in Wiltshire - for all I know this may be the first record!!
Whilst gardening today I came across a gathering of post hibernation Green Shieldbugs with a smattering of Dock Bugs. All on the leaves of an Acanthus spinosus. These strange 'bedfellows' were also seen. Late afternoon once the air temp was dropping.
Cheers,

Steve.

 

[Angus T]

I got my first Gorse Shieldbug couple days ago. It was actually in my house! This is the first one I've seen. The other species I've seen this year is Green Shieldug, on a number of occassions.

 

[harry eales]

Hi Harry, I'm only quoting the Surrey Shieldbugs book so don't know of it's status in Wiltshire - for all I know this may be the first record!!
Whilst gardening today I came across a gathering of post hibernation Green Shieldbugs with a smattering of Dock Bugs. All on the leaves of an Acanthus spinosus. These strange 'bedfellows' were also seen. Late afternoon once the air temp was dropping.
Cheers,

Steve.

Hello Steve,
The Green shieldbug is a relatively common species in southern England as are Dock Bugs. There have been no National Distribution Maps published on the Shieldbugs as there are so few recorders, but it is known that several species are expanding their ranges northwards.

The National Recorder would be grateful for any records. His contact address is on the website of the IHTE (Institute for Hydrology and Terrestrial Ecology) the old BRC. Nice picture of both the bug and Queen Vespa species.

There should be many more Shieldbug species coming out of hibernation over the next few weeks.

Harry