Bronze Shieldbug on a pale canvas background

Lovely iridescence on this Bronze Shieldbug (Troilus luridus) found in a holly bush in Epping Forest today. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Firebug, a black and red insect on a black plastic tray.

Found this Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) in its natural habitat yesterday, sitting on a black plastic coffee cup lid, enjoying the warm sun! Seen at Ninefields, the first time I have seen one in Waltham Abbey. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Striped Shieldbug: red and black stripy insect sitting on green nettle leaves.

Found my first Striped Shieldbug (Graphosoma italicum) of the year, sunning on nettle leaves, alongside lots of other insects at Ninefields, Waltham Abbey, Essex today. I have not previously seen one in March (first sighting 25th April last year). #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

A Juniper Shieldbug: a green insect with a brown striped back on a pale canvas background.

Tapped a Juniper Shieldbug (Cyphostethus tristriatus) out of ivy in Waltham Abbey today. Always a pleasure to see this attractive species. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Cinnamon Bug: a red and black bug with black legs and antennae on mossy ground.

Found a rather attractive Cinnamon Bug (Corizus hyoscyami) in my Waltham Abbey garden two days ago. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

A Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) tapped out of ivy at Fishers Green in the Lee Valley a couple of days ago. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Adult Striped Shieldbug on umbellifer seed head.

Adult and nymph Striped Shieldbug on dead Hemlock stem.

Group of adults and nymphs of Striped Shieldbug on Hemlock stem.

Streamside umbellifers by tarmac path and houses, prime Striped Shieldbug habitat.

2025 summary of my local Striped Shieldbug population: adults seen 25 April-10 Nov, max of 86; nymphs seen 21 July-27 Oct, max 37. Numbers much reduced at Fishers Green, but several good populations now in Waltham Abbey, especially Abbey Gardens and Ninefields. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Green Shieldbug: green shield shaped insect with orange legs on a pale canvas background.

Tapped a Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) out of ivy at Powderham Church, Devon on Monday. Still green, not yet developed brown winter colouring. #DevonWildlife #UKBugs

Three Green Shieldbugs on the inside of a garden wheelie bin with lattice fence in background.

Found three Green Shieldbugs (Palomena prasina) inside a garden wheelie bin today, waiting patiently to be let out. Relocated to a dense patch of ivy. In Upshire, Essex. Two still green, the other in brown winter mode. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Hogweed patch on grassy bank by stream, with trees in background, habitat of Striped Shieldbug.

Unsurprisingly I failed to find any Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) at their favoured location at Ninefields in Waltham Abbey today. The season seems to have finally ended. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Striped Shieldbug on dead wet leaf

Only managed to find one Striped Shieldbug (Graphosoma italicum) in Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey in rather rainy conditions yesterday (10 October). #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Striped Shieldbug on dead vegetation

Striped Shieldbug on Hemlock stem

Side on view of Striped Shieldbug showing spots on underside

Hemlock, nettles and docks in front of dense hedge

Still three Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) hanging on in their favoured spot in Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey today. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Face on view of a capsid bug on nettle leaves

A rather attractive bug, Pantilius tunicatus on nettles at Cornmill Meadows last week. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs #LeeValleyWildlife

Striped Shieldbug on Hemlock stem

Two Striped Shieldbugs on Hemlock stem.

Spotted underside of Striped Shieldbug hiding behind nettle stem.

Hogweed patch beside path, metal fence and trees in background.

Managed to find four Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) on Hogweed in the north east corner of Cornmill Meadows today. #LeeValleyWildlife #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Single adult and nymph Striped Shieldbug on Hemlock stem

Cluster of four Striped Shieldbugs on Hemlock

Nymph of Striped Shieldbug on grass stem

Striped Shieldbug on Hemlock stem

In Waltham Abbey today I found 11 adult and three nymphs of Striped Shieldbug (Graphosoma italicum) at Ninefields and a further 10 adults and a single nymph at Abbey Gardens. I haven't seen any at Fishers Green on my last two recent visits. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

A red and black Firebug with a damaged corium sitting on a nettle leaf.

Found a Firebug (Pyrrhocoridae apertus) sitting on a nettle leaf next to a patch of Common Mallow at Fishers Green, Essex today, the first time I have seen one on my local patch. A damaged corium gave it an asymmetrical appearance. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs #LeeValleyWildlife

A Green Shieldbug and a much smaller Parent shieldbug on a pale canvas background.

Interesting size difference between this Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) and a Parent Shieldbug (Elasmucha grisea) both tapped out of ivy at Fishers Green, Essex yesterday. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs #LeeValleyWildlife

Three Striped Shieldbugs on Hemlock leaf

Still four Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) hanging on at Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey, despite the gloomy conditions today. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

A Mottled Shieldbug on a wooden background.

A Mottled Shieldbug (Rhaphigaster nebulosa) sitting on a shed door in Upshire, Essex last week. I am just starting to see a few on my local patch now as they continue to spread to new areas. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

A yellow and black Brassica Shieldbug on a nettle leaf.

A rather smart Brassica Shieldbug (Eurydema oleracea) sunning on a nettle leaf in Waltham Abbey, Essex last week. #UKBugs #EssexWildlife

Hairy Shieldbug viewed from the front showing stripy antennae with green leaves in the background.

A Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum) standing on the tip of a comfrey leaf in Waltham Abbey, Essex a few days ago. #UKBugs #EssexWildlife

A tight cluster of Striped Shieldbugs on a Hemlock stem with a 7-spot Ladybird at the back.

A tight cluster of Striped Shielbugs (Graphosoma italicum), plus a 7-spot Ladybird, on a Hemlock stem in Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey yesterday. A total of 19 adults and five nymphs counted on this one plant. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Early instar Striped Shieldbug bug on Hemlock stem

Late instar Striped Shieldbug nymph on Hemlock stem.

Adult Striped Shieldbug on Hemlock stem

Large stand of Hemlock growing amongst nettles and grasses with mown paths in between.

A careful search of Town Mead, Waltham Abbey produced three nymphs and 12 adult Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) in a large stand of Hemlock today. The best count of the year on this site, the warm sunshine encouraging them out to bask. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Striped Shieldbug on Hogweed stem

Striped Shieldbug on Hogweed stem

Distant shot of Striped Shieldbug on Hogweed stem amongst grasses and nettles

Striped Shieldbug habitat: scattered Hogweed plants amongst rough grassland next to housing estate.

Found four Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) in an area with scattered Hogweed on Roundhills estate, Waltham Abbey today. The first time I have checked this small sub population this year, still in the same area as 2024. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Spruce Cone Bug, brownish bug with black markings towards the front on pale background.

Surprised to find a Spruce Cone Bug (Gastrodes abietum) sitting on my front door in Waltham Abbey a few days ago. Initially assumed it was the commoner Pine Cone Bug (G. grossipes) but pale sides to front of pronotum and first antennal segment not extending beyond head. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Adult Striped Shieldbug on Hogweed leaf

Nymph of Striped Shieldbug on nettle leaf

Newly emerged pale orange Striped Shieldbug nymph on Hogweed stem next to its shed skincase.

Hogweed stem with numerous adults and nymphs of Striped Shieldbugs.

Counted 37 nymphs and 60 adult Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) at Ninefields, Waltham Abbey today. This has been the primary population this year, numbers down in other areas and no new spread to other nearby habitat patches that I have been checking. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

The lacebug Kalama tricornis, a very small #bug with lacy edges to the pronotum and lacy wings. Its antennae - or rather its antenna as one is missing - is thickly hairy.

Another view of the same #lacebug, Kalama tricornis. #UKinverts

The inconspicuous ladybird Angle-spotted Scymnus (Scymnus frontalis). A small black beetle with a pair of large orangey-red spots on the wing-cases. The appendages (legs, antennae and, not visible here, palps) are orangey-brown. #InconspicuousLadybird

A side view of the same Angle-spotted Scymnus (Scymnus frontalis). #UKladybird #ladybird

I enjoyed some productive suction-sampling today. Lots still to identify but among the highlights was my first (long-awaited) lacebug: Kalama tricornis. Also Angle-spotted Scymnus (Scymnus frontalis), one of the commoner inconspicuous ladybirds to have eluded me until now. #UKbugs #UKbeetles

New Forest Shieldbug in plastic tray

New Forest Shieldbug in plastic tray

New Forest Shieldbug in plastic tray

Area of bog habitat with trees and sky in background

Very pleased to see a New Forest Shieldbug (Eysarcoris aeneus) at Matley Bog, Hampshire last Sunday; the highlight of a few days spent in the area. #NewForestWildlife #UKBugs

Slightly dusty Striped Shieldbug on a Hogweed stem with fingers of a human hand in background.

Found three Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) on Hogweed beside a dusty trackway at Aimes Green, Essex today. This small population is north of Waltham Abbey and east of Fishers Green. #UKBugs #EssexWildlife

Two Striped Shieldbugs on Hogweed seed heads

Four Striped Shieldbugs clustered on Hogweed seed heads

Four Striped Shieldbugs clustered on Hogweed seed heads

Patch of dried Hogweed next to pathway with litterbin and trees in background

Counted an impressive 52 Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) on one Hogweed plant at Ninefields, Waltham Abbey, Essex today, with plenty more in the general vicinity. #UKBugs #EssexWildlife