x8 photos. Double click to enlarge.
There are almost 70 species of Hemiptera (True Bugs) on this site, yet there are almost 2,000 species in Great Britain. Turn over a leaf or having a look amongst them will turn up all kinds of true bugs, adult and nymph stages.
They are a very diverse group of insects, and here is but a small selection of some of them which I discovered in my small back garden.
For more species and more detailed information please visit below:
x1 image. Double click to enlarge.
This tiny Cicadellidae (Leafhoppers) nymph was found on willow. There are several similar species and identification can be difficult, especially at this early stage. With some help I manged to get it down to Kybos sp.
Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) showing its autumn colours. It will go darker, turning to a deep bronze as winter takes hold and then will hibernate during the coldest period. In spring it will gradually turn back to full green.
The delightfully named leafhopper can be found on Hawthorn, Rowan, and several other trees incluing various fruit trees.
I have now photographed and uploaded 500 different species of insect to this site. Try to take in these facts about insects, they are quite astounding to comprehend:
So there we have it: The Earth belongs to the insects. And they will be around long after we have gone on our way. So enough text … and now for some photos I have taken of these amazing and most fascinating six-legged creatures:
For those that may be interested you can visit my Insects page ‘here’.
Normally you would find these elongate plant bugs in dry grassland, but I had around half a dozen of them around my moth trap the other night in the backyard. They are quite small at around 5-6 mm (1/4 in) long.
Cercopis vulnerata – This bug is hard to miss when coming across it resting on low plants like nettle. Apart from its eye-popping colour, it is also one of the largest of the froghoppers. Its bright markings signify that it is very distasteful to birds and other would be predators. Double-click images to enlarge.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 6th May 2020 ♦ Local woodland margin, South Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Eurydema (Eurydema) oleracea – Also called the Cabbage Bug, this is a new visitor to the garden for me. Another one of the shieldbugs/stink bugs, but this one has a red colour form, too, which I have not seen. Double-click image to enlarge.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 6th April 2020 ♦ Rear garden, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Heterotoma planicornis – I always think the early stage of true bugs look kind of strange, and this nymph is no exception. The adults grow up to around 5mm (just under a 1/4in) long, and they look quite strange, too. See last image. Double-click image to enlarge.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 30th June 2019 ♦ Rear garden, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Gorse Shieldbug (Piezodorus lituratus) – This one like to chill in the morning sun. Double-click image for a closer look.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 24th March 2020 ♦ Back garden, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) – Looking through my living window yesterday evening I noticed this bug had got the most comfortable and fashionble bed for the night, cosily nestled right in the centre of one of my Camellia blossoms. Now that’s what I call sleeping in style. Double-click image to get closer, but please be quite so as not to wake him.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 24th March 2020 ♦ Front garden, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Sonronius dahlbomi – Like others around the world I am having to self isolate here because of the Coronavirus. I draw an interesting parallel to these tiny leafhopper bugs. Over the years I have come across these brightly coloured bugs (they are only about 5mm (3/16in) long) on a narrow woodland path and always in one particular spot amongst fern and nettle. I see them nowhere else. It is an uncommon species and localised, and found mainly in woodland in central and southern England.
I have had online discussions with an expert on these insects and he too has found that this particular species always seems to appear in a tight-knit cluster and does not develop out from it, which is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps they feel safe and content where they are, and they have everything they need in their confined living space to survive, and will only move if threatened to do so. The bottom two images show the early juvenile stage. You may want to double-click for a closer look.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 9th, 22nd & 30th June 2019 ♦ Local woodland path, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Palomena prasina – As soon as the sun appears these shieldbugs crawl out of their hidey-holes and bask in its warming rays. This one is still sporting its autumn camouflage suit, although I have noticed others are gradually changing back to green to blend in with the new spring growth. Double-click on image to enlarge.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 16th March 2020 ♦ Back garden, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) – Although these three are hardly green, for they have not long come out of hibernation and are still sporting their autumnal colours. I took these after venturing into the back garden today. The sun was bright and cheerful and very inviting, but it was very windy and cold, so I had to wrap up. I was only out there for around ten minutes before I was forced back indoors to rest. It is such a frustration when the mind is willing but the body just can’t. At least I managed to get a few shots off, and here is one of them … oh yes … the green bugs which aren’t green … but they will soon be with the advent of spring.
Copyright: Peter Hillman
Camera used: Nikon D7200
Date taken: 12th March 2020
Place: Rear garden, Staffordshire
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) early stage nymph. Wherever there is dock (Rumex) you are bound to spot a few of these living on it, feeding on the fruits and seeds. They pass through five stages before becoming an adult as in the last image. Double-click to get closer still …
Copyright: Peter Hillman
Camera used: Nikon D7200
Date taken: 7th July 2019
Place: Local field, Staffordshire
Reduvius personatus – At 16-18mm (5/8-3/4in) long this is a large and impressive black species of true bug belonging to the family Reduviidae – the Assassin Bugs. They are also called Masked Hunters. A synanthropic species, they live alongside humans benefiting from the association. They can be found in houses and outbuildings where they predate on other invertebrates like bed bugs, silverfish, lice, flies and spiders. They can give a painful bite if threatened and handled roughly.
An infrequent species, they are not seen very often in Britain, and are mainly recorded in central and southern England. The adults are seen May to September, and are attracted to light. The bodies of the young nymphs are covered in very sticky hairs which they use to cover themselves in dust and minute debris to help camouflage themselves after each molt. This helps them to sneak up on their prey and ambush them.
Double-click on images if you want to get up close and personal with this dark assassin …
Copyright: Peter Hillman
Camera used: Nikon D7200
Date taken: 29th June 2019
Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire
There was a bunch of these tiny critters hanging around on a wall out the front.
September 2019 © Pete Hillman.
I discovered this Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum) on my Water Mint this morning.
Feel free to click the image to enlarge and click again to get even closer …
September 2019 © Pete Hillman.
This true bug is called Rhopalus subrufus, and a new species for me in the garden. It appeared to be attracted to my Water Mint. Looking closer it is quite a hairy species, and one of only four of this genus found in the UK.
September 2019 © Pete Hillman.
Feel free to click the images to enlarge and click again to get even closer …
Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) early instar. Rear garden. © Pete Hillman August 2019.
2 photos in this post …. feel free to click to enlarge and click again to get even closer on the images …
This is the very varied Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius) clinging nicely to my shed wall.
July 2019, rear garden, South Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Dock Bug Coreus marginatus – also called the Squashbug.
Click and click again on the image to get that little bit closer …
June 2019, woodland margin, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
Click and click again on the image to get that little bit closer …
June 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
This is a nymph, a young spittlbug which can be found in frothy spittle, also called cuckoo spit, on plants, which the nymphs produce to protect themselves. They are also known as froghoppers, and there are ten species in the UK.
Click and click again on the images to get that little bit closer
May 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Across the surface of the rose leaf can be seen the ghostly remains of the shed skin of an aphid that has passed by. This is all part of the insect’s metamorphosis processes. Most aphid nymphs are born live, and they have to go through a series of moultings – also called ecdysis – to develop. Moulting can be a risky buisness as it renders the subject immobile during this phase and vulnerable to predators. Aphids usually have to pass through 4 instars to reach full maturity. The remaining cast skin is called exuvia.
Click and click again on the image to get that little bit closer …
May 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
No, not a kind of chupacabra, but still quite strange.
At this time of year I have always wondered what all these sticky fluffly bits were on my Box Hedge, and now I finally know.
When you get closer you can see hidden amongst the fluff these Psyllid nymphs which look a little like greenfly. They are called Box Sucker Psylla buxi, and in other parts they are called Boxwood Psyllid. They appear to do little damage to the Box, and they disappear after a while. They are true bugs which suck the sap from the shoot tips in spring.
This is the first time I have seen the little critters up close, and how bizarre they look. They almost look like they have large ears, but I think they are the beginnings of wings.
May 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Basking in the warming afternoon sun and showing off its very fine shiny colours, this is the Gorse Shieldbug Piezodorus lituratus. It must have got itself lost for it is generally associated with Gorse, but there is no Gorse in my back garden. However I am pleased it stopped by, for this is my very first ecounter with this marvellous insect.
April 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Rose Aphids on one of my fresh young rosebuds.
May 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum, September 2017, rear garden, Staffordshire, England.
This is possibly a Dicyphus nymph, a plant bug. Quite hard to get an accurate id on these little ones.
July 2017, rear garden, Staffordshire, England.
This is quite a large bug with a length of 9-10mm, almost half an inch overall. A common and widespread species, the adults are seen May to October. It is associated with a wide range of trees and shrubs, not just alder. The larvae and eggs live in a protective mass of bubbles called ‘cuckoo-spit’.
Double click for a closer look-see …
July 2017, rear garden, Staffordshire, England.
Double click to get a little closer.
August 2017, local woodland margin, Staffordshire, England.
A) Delphacidae sp. nymph with Dryinid wasp parasite. Local pond margin.
B) Unknown. Local pond margin.
C) Unidentified. Local pond margin.
D) Idiocerus sp. Rear garden on crab apple.
E) Aleyrodidae. Rear garden on Buddliea near Strawberry plants.
F) Psyllidae. Rear garden, off cotoneaster.
G) Miridae. On crab apple, caught probing a small fly.
I have reposted these images with some newly added photographs of species in the hope of getting a positive identification. I realise it is not always possible to make an id from an image, but if there is a possibility one has to give it a go. Thanks in advance to Craig Slawson and other recorders from the Staffordshire Ecological Record who have already been of great assistance with their aid in confirming and identifying species in this challenging yet fascinating group of insects.
Please click on images to enlarge, and click again to get even closer.
All taken July 2017, Staffordshire, England.
I have featured this extraordinary ‘bug’ before in a previous post, and you can learn more about it there if you wish to: Dock Leaf Bug. However, please note the two converging lobes on the nose in the second image down. This is diagnostic of this species.
When I came across several of them this morning on a local woodland margin, I also saw two instars which can be seen below. Note the differences between the adult on the left and the final instar on the right in the image directly underneath.
Below is a mid instar, and comparisons can be made between the two stages with the final instar above.
August 2017, Staffordshire, England.
Macrosteles sp. of the Cicadellidae family. These are really tiny creatures, and this is their world. At this scale, it is really quite alien to ours.
These were taken on the muddy edge of my local pond, Staffordshire, England. July 2017.
This is one of the slightly larger leafhoppers which I found deftly avoiding an interested spider on my crab apple tree.
Rear garden, Staffordshire, England, July 2017.
This bug landed on my neck when I was sitting in the garden. It has been going through various stages (instars) as it is growing up, and it is almost an adult. Please see final image to see what the adult looks like.
Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) final instar nymph, rear garden, Staffordshire, England.
Trying out my Raynox DCR-250 conversion lens again this evening, I managed to get close to this little ghost-like fly which had landed on one of my strawberry plants. At 1.5mm (0.06in) long, one female can lay up to nearly 200 eggs. Note the faint dark patches at the base of the otherwise all white forewings.
They are a bug belonging to the order of insects called Hemiptera, and the whitefly family Aleyrodidae. They are sap-sucking insects, and there are quite a few different species which look very much the same as this one so they are hard to pin down an exact species. They can be considered a pest species in some areas. Whitefly secrete sticky honeydew deposits as they feed which fall on to the surrounding foliage. This causes dark sooty mould to develop on the leaves. Also yellowing of the leaves occur due to them feeding on the plant cells.
Rear garden, Staffordshire, England. July 2017
Please click on an image for a larger more detailed view. Clicking a second time may get you a little closer.
There are quite a few of these green capsid bugs around, and they can be quite confusing to identify with accuracy. This one is usually found on birch, and is common and widespread throughout Britain. The adults are seen June to September, and can grow up to 6mm (0.2in) long.
Rear garden, Staffordshire, England. July 2017.
Formerly called Grypocoris stysi, this is quite a distinctive and attractive plant bug which I came upon as I walked along a local woodland margin.
July 2017.
Nature Journeys 