As I was looking at the apples in the orchard on Wednesday I came across this little fellow. He is a Green Shield Bug who is sometimes referred to as a green stink bug though that name strictly belongs to an American bug.
Green shield bugs are very common in British gardens. They are part of a larger family of shield bugs which are so-named because they are shaped like shields.
Green shield bugs usually appear about April or May and they feed on the sap of plants such as apple, pear and hazelnut trees. They do not cause damage to the plants. They mate in June and the females lay their eggs, typically on the leaves. If we look closely we might be able to find small batches of green eggs in the orchard. When the eggs hatch a miniature bug appears. These bugs go through several stages of growth before they hibernate in November in the leaves or soil under the trees. During their hibernation they may change colour to a deeper green, brown or bronze colour. Here is one I found on an apple in my garden that has started to change colour.
You can see more shield bugs here.
No Comments Yet