Green shield bug
Palomena prasina
52.0654, 6.02705
Field Notes
Description:
This common bug has a flattened, shield-shaped body, as the name suggests. It is bright green in colour with delicate flecks of black that look like small puncture marks. In November, the insects darken in colour and spend the winter hibernating with a dark-bronze colouration. Although the sexes are similar in appearance, females tend to be larger than males. Like all Hemiptera, the green shield bug has specialised sucking mouthparts, which in this species are used to feed on plant sap. This species belongs to a sub-order known as the true bugs in which only the tips of the wings are membranous; the rest of the wing is hardened. When the bug is at rest, the wings are held flat over the body and the membranous parts of the wings overlap.
Habitat:
Green shield bugs are a very common shield bug throughout Europe, including the British Isles. It can be found in a wide range of habitats but becomes confined to woodlands in northern parts of its range. Its hosts include bushes and shrubs, but hazel is one of its preferred species.
Notes:
A 4th or 5th instar Palomena prasina nymph spotted in National Park Veluwezoom, Holland.(sources:see reference)
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