They're back. Red-and-black Froghopper, Cercopis vulnerata. #Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55

Lots of insects out now in the London area. 16 sp of shieldbugs & allies at Beddington Farmlands/Mitcham Common today, including the spurge bug Dicranocephalus medius and White-shouldered Shieldbug Dyroderes

@britishbugs.bsky.social Piesma maculatum? From my garden. Thanks

A nice surprise to find another Gastrodes abietum (Spruce Cone Bug) in SE Shropshire on Sunday! #Heteroptera #Lygaeidae

The bizarre 'stalk-eyed bug' Henestaris laticeps, common around Buck's-horn Plantain plants, Ayrmer Cove, Devon. The reason why its eyes are stalked is unknown.

Apolygus - simplified Apolygus is a tricky genus, but the impact of a new paper (if widely accepted) simplifies things. As a confirmed taxonomic lumper, I approve! - ajcarthropoda.blogspot.com/2026/03/apol... #Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #Miridae

Another day, yet another Shieldbug, this time a Mottled Shieldbug (Rhaphigaster nebulosa). Found among Ivy on a Hawthorn tree down the allotment, the first time I've encountered this particular species. Underside view shows the characteristic spike. VC30 Bedfordshire

Some 50 Fire Bugs in the village of Lynsted in North Kent. Thanks to Mike Hudson for the record and photos and to Neil Anderson for passing it on. #KentNature #bugs #TrueBugs

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

A new species added to the Bedfordshire bug slides, with the lacebug Catoplatus fabricii, a rather lovely creature brilliantly found and photographed by @markgurn.bsky.social last year. See all the slides here www.flickr.com/photos/runne...

Blue Shieldbug, Zicrona caerulea. #Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem

This is the height of ecological illiteracy and shows how wannabe zookeepers have taken over UK nature conservation. Evidence for native status of these species is incredibly tenuous; releasing them into one of our most ancient & irreplaceable ecosystems would be crazy. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

10 years ago today I looked in the moth trap and saw the critter in the first photo. I actually potted it, threw it back in the trap, then re-potted it after having second thoughts! Three days later I had another! (2nd photo). Mecidea lindbergi, 1st UK record, ID'd by @britishbugs.bsky.social

Found a leafhopper in the bedroom window on Thursday and it appears to be a Acericerus heydenii - a recent arrival in the UK (2010) and appears to be spreading. We've seen just one before - in South Bucks. @rockwolf74.bsky.social

Mottled Shieldbug (Rhaphigaster nebulosa) from pollarded Sallow branch 28/11/25. New site record #ThamesRdWetland SMINC in London Boro Bexley, managed by @thames21.bsky.social Feeds on various decidous trees. First found in UK in London area 2010, following increase on near continent. (Pic Elio G)

Winter leafhoppers. Empoasca vitis Eupteryx urticae Linnavuoriana sexmaculata Ribautiana debilis #Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #Cicadellidae

Looking at the last flowers of Red Campion today and this little bug appeared. It is Dicyphus globulifer, a species found on Red and White Campion throughout Britain.

What an incredible month November has been so far, and thanks to simply shaking some leaves. Three new leafhoppers for me, two of these possibly new to Essex. #Hemiptera #Cicadellidae #Leafhopper

Always love finding Ledra aurita (Eared Leafhopper) nymphs! From SE Shropshire yesterday. #Homoptera #Leafhopper #Shropshire

Developers WANT gradual release of new homes, so demand always outstrips supply to keep sales prices high. They use: 1 Land-banking - to prevent competitors building 2 Slow build-out - to keep demand high Reforms should focus on this dynamic, plus skills shortages, and minimising slow wet trades

Utterly disgusted by this dismal disappointment of a govt

The Government has tabled 67 last-minute amendments to the Planning & Infrastructure Bill.‼️ Rushed through with little scrutiny, it’s a shambolic way to reform the planning system. It creates confusion, sidelines science and leaves nature dangerously exposed. (1/3)

Don't care about the massive damage done to native ecosystems by the constant release of vast numbers of invasive pheasants for shooting? Maybe you'll care about catching Lyme disease instead.

On yesterday's @kentfieldclub.bsky.social meeting at Castle Foote on the North Kent coast, I was really pleased to find the rare ground bug Henestaris halophilus in numbers across the saltmarsh. Habitat shot has notes in alt text. #bugs #truebugs #Hemiptera #KentNature @britishbugs.bsky.social

This is the story of my daughter Milly and Lyme Disease. There was no rash, no "summer flu", NHS blood tests negative. And she's been ill for a quarter of her life. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s... Thank you @lymediseaseuk.bsky.social & @lymeresourcecentre.bsky.social for raising UK awareness.

PLEASE READ! No more #BeeWashing. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Spent the afternoon in part of the new North Kent Woods & Downs NNR. Was looking for Hop-garden Earwig (a no-show) but did find some nice bugs: Iassus scutellaris, Vernal Shieldbug Peribalus strictus & Asiraca clavicornis. #KentNature #NNR #bugs #Hemiptera @naturalengland.bsky.social

14 adult Trapezium Shieldbugs were found at Samphire Hoe, near Dover on 10th Aug 2025.

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

Edwardsiana rosae. Common as muck, nightmare to I.D. :-) #Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #Cicadellidae

I’ve always wanted to see a Blue Shieldbug, Zicrona caerulea, and now I have! Saw this one on our walk at the weekend. Such a stunning little creature! #InsectThursday #Bugsky

Does this look good for Ortholomus punctipennis @britishbugs.bsky.social ? Brownfield site, South Cambs.

Finally made the pilgrimage to Purflleet for Sciocoris sideritidis and Southern Sickle-bearing Bush Cricket with @sjb2010.bsky.social today.

@britishbugs.bsky.social I think I’ve finally reached a conclusion on this bug I found at Spurn, is it just Megalonotus chigara? On the first photo it is on the right, with a specimen of M.chigara on the left. I was hoping it was a very lost Eremocoris plebejus but I think that’s wishful thinking

My first sighting of Rhaphigaster nebulosa (Mottled Shieldbug), in my S. Cambridgeshire garden this afternoon. A recent arrival to our shores, with the first mainland record in London in 2010. Following its rapid northwards expansion on the continent, it's doing the same here in the UK.

If you want to identify, well, anything, I recommend this post from @weevil-see.bsky.social. His choice of weevils to illustrate it is of course excellent, but it applies to everything from mushrooms to marsupials. This is how you can be a good identifier of things. [Link contains spider]

Delighted to come across Small Grass Shieldbug, Neottiglossa pusilla, at the weekend. Not common in #VC55. #Bugs #Hemiptera #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem

Mothing continues to be good here in S.Hants, with Lunar-spotted Pinion NFG last night, but top spot went to the ladybird Calvia decemguttata aka the Jersey Ladybird, I got one a couple of weeks ago but it escaped before I got a picture. #teammoth #Hantsmoths

Top film. The smartest look at this subject I've ever seen. Also funny and sweary. youtu.be/zl-wAqplQAo?...

Two Lygaeid bugs, Arocatus roeselii and Oxycarenus modestus, tapped from Alder in Alphamstone, Essex TL8835 yesterday. Relatively recent arrivals from the continent.

These have gotta be Nezara viridula (Southern Green Shieldbug) surely? In my Norfolk garden, very few county records to date @britishbugs.bsky.social

Thought I'd post something about separating Nysius senecionis and graminicola, as both are now widespread. The features to focus on are the extent of the matt field of the evaporatory area (the brown bit) and the length of the 1st hind tarsal segment relative to the 2nd and 3rd.

@hwitts.bsky.social I noticed from the PSL website that you had Licinus punctulatus recently at Barking Riverside. Where exactly did you find it? I'd love to find this sp.

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

@britishbugs.bsky.social Hi Tristan I assume this is a long shot given location, (West Yorks), but how does it look for Sphragisticus nebulosus? I can’t decide between this and Peritrechus. Thanks, was in moth trap. Pronotum possibly too dark?

This is either genius ... or incredibly stupid We have hugely underestimated the importance of sound communication in Hemiptera (bugs). Read more: ajcarthropoda.blogspot.com/2025/08/this... #Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #video

Popped out into the garden for a quick sweep with the net, and almost immediately caught 3 Scarce Tortoise Shieldbugs. (I flipped them over to check). #shieldbugs #hemiptera #truebugs #Kentnature @britishbugs.bsky.social

Ochetostethus nanus is now probably well established in parts of East Anglia with records from Norfolk and Suffolk.

Hot nights lead to dispersal of other rare invertebrates. Sehirus morio on Friday night in Bengeo garden. Sehirus morio is european species of shieldbug present in UK in small numbers. It is similar to common Sehirus luctuosus but 25% larger. @britishbugs.bsky.social @bugmanjones.bsky.social

finally caught up with the impressive sphecid wasp Isodontia mexicana today in London