Green shield bug  (Palomena prasina)

Biology

Adult green shield bugs emerge from hibernation in May and mate in June (2). As with most bugs, individuals mate ‘back to back’ (4). The eggs are laid in hexagonal batches of around 28, and a single female will lay a number of batches so that the total number she lays will be around 100 (2). All bugs have a type of insect development known as ‘hemimetabolous development’ in which there is no larval stage but a number of wingless nymphs instead which resemble the adult form(4). This species passes through five nymphal stages, moulting between each one. Each stage has a different colouration, and the final stage has short wings. The adult stage is reached in September, and they go into hibernation in November (2).

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