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TranslatePalomena prasina
Palomena prasina (Linnaeus, 1761) Commonly known as “The Green Shield Bug”
Family: Pentatomidae (Generally called “Shield bugs or Stink bugs”)
Adult size: 12 to 13.5mm.
A very common Shield bug, found over most of Britain and Europe.
One generation a year, adults from September, through till July the following year., Larvae appear from early June to early October.
One of the best-known Shield Bugs must be the Green Shield Bug, the adult is predominately green in colour, but changes to a dark reddish brown in the winter months. Larvae colourations differ regarding the time of year, as later in the year, the larvae tend to be darker. Adults will mainly over winter in leaf litter.
Habitat: Various, woodland edges, hedgerows, meadows, waste ground, gardens and parks. Feeding on a large variety of plants, shrubs and trees, mainly for the sap which comes from the plants leaves and stems.
Mating usually takes place in June, a typical mating position for Shield bugs is back-to-back. The male does not mount on the back of the female. The female will lay her eggs in hexagonal batches of 25 to 30 eggs. A single female will lay up to four batches of eggs. When the eggs hatch the larvae remain together, known as “sibling communities” these have protection from a chemical substance (an excretion of an aggregation pheromone) which the female produces; in case of danger, she will produce another pheromone, which causes the larvae to disperse.
The larvae stage goes through to the nymph stage, here the nymphs will go through a further four stages, before becoming an adult (Imago stage) in September. Hibernation follows in the month of November.
Read MoreFamily: Pentatomidae (Generally called “Shield bugs or Stink bugs”)
Adult size: 12 to 13.5mm.
A very common Shield bug, found over most of Britain and Europe.
One generation a year, adults from September, through till July the following year., Larvae appear from early June to early October.
One of the best-known Shield Bugs must be the Green Shield Bug, the adult is predominately green in colour, but changes to a dark reddish brown in the winter months. Larvae colourations differ regarding the time of year, as later in the year, the larvae tend to be darker. Adults will mainly over winter in leaf litter.
Habitat: Various, woodland edges, hedgerows, meadows, waste ground, gardens and parks. Feeding on a large variety of plants, shrubs and trees, mainly for the sap which comes from the plants leaves and stems.
Mating usually takes place in June, a typical mating position for Shield bugs is back-to-back. The male does not mount on the back of the female. The female will lay her eggs in hexagonal batches of 25 to 30 eggs. A single female will lay up to four batches of eggs. When the eggs hatch the larvae remain together, known as “sibling communities” these have protection from a chemical substance (an excretion of an aggregation pheromone) which the female produces; in case of danger, she will produce another pheromone, which causes the larvae to disperse.
The larvae stage goes through to the nymph stage, here the nymphs will go through a further four stages, before becoming an adult (Imago stage) in September. Hibernation follows in the month of November.
