Shieldbugs

IDENTIFY

BRASSICA SHIELDBUG

Both the common name and scientific species name point to where this shieldbug is usually found – on brassica plants, such as garlic mustard and horseradish. Also called the crucifer shieldbug, it is found in southern and central England. It is mostly dark blue-black, with coloured markings on its body that vary between individuals: red, yellow or cream-white.

It can be mistaken for two similar but rarer species: ornate shieldbug and scarlet shieldbug.

HAIRY/SLOE SHIELDBUG

This large species is covered with visible hairs, even as a nymph. It is a lovely purple colour with a pale tip to its scutellum (which darkens prior to hibernation), and black and cream banding on its antennae and connexivum (edges of the abdomen). Its other name, sloe shieldbug, indicates an association with blackthorn, but it can actually be found on a wide variety of plants.

It is common in much of England, Wales and southern Ireland.

BRONZE SHIELDBUG

The bronze shieldbug is a predatory species. It feeds on tree sap as a nymph, but then begins feeding on other insects, particularly caterpillars. Some other shieldbug species have a similar colouration, so one of its key identification features is the banding on the antennae – it has a single yellow-orange band on the penultimate segment of each antenna. The bronze is a woodland species found on both deciduous and coniferous trees.

PARENT SHIELDBUG

The parent bug is reddish-brown in colour, usually with a distinctive black band across the middle of its scutellum, and with black and white bands on the connexivum. The species is named for its unusual behaviour. Typically, shieldbugs lay their eggs and leave them to fend for themselves, but the parent bug is different. Although the mal