Shieldbugs

The early instar larvae of Green Shieldbugs were out in force in a hedge alongside the South West Coast Path in Falmouth yesterday.

Insight into Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina): found in a wide range of habitats throughout most of the UK but becoming scarcer in the North, the larvae feed on native broad-leaved trees and a diverse range of shrubs.

The larvae have normally turned into adults of about 13mm in length by October and will then change from green to a dark reddy-brown to overwinter.