GREEN SHIELD BUG OR PALOMENA PRASINA

Mr. HCB is going off walking with his friend, Barry, this morning, so I had a wander round the garden just before he went.  I was in my pink robe because I decided that a lazy morning would be good, but that didn’t seem to frighten this little green shield bug, which was happily chomping on my Compassion rose bud.

Here is my contribution to Tiny Tuesday, hosted by Loisbiz, basking in the sunshine, and you can see how very well camouflaged it is.  I didn’t realise what it was, but after looking at it, Mr. HCB found it in his Complete British Wildlife book.  

It's also called a green stink bug because it produces a foul smelling liquid and leaves a stinking trail, and is often noticed on blackberries, so better go and check ours because apparently they taste awful once this little bug has left its mark!

Native to Britain, when fully grown the common green shield bug or Palomena prasina, is a broad, flattened, green insect with a strongly contrasting blackish brown darker area at the rear end, where the hind wings cross.  The adult insects are about 10mm, about 3/8 inch long. 

These do need to be controlled as they can do damage to crops, and as Mr. HCB has just planted out some of his runner beans, guess I had better pick it off and send it on a long journey over the back fence and just hope it won’t find its way back into our garden.

In other news, I tidied up the edges of the grass yesterday and hand cut about six inches from the edge with our special shears, so now that it looks tidier, Mr. HCB has agreed to wait until next week to cut the grass, just before our green bin is collected, which is great and the buttercups and daisies can bloom for a while longer.

“Insects have a life of their own, 
     and a beauty to match.” 
Anthony T. Hincks

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