The green shield bug (Palomena prasina) is a Palearctic shield bug species in the family Pentatomidae. The name might equally apply to several other species in the tribe Nezarini, or if referred-to as a "green stink bug", it might[why?] more appropriately belong to the larger North American bug, Chinavia hilaris. The adult green shield bug ranges in the colour of their backs from bright green to bronze, without any substantial markings. Green shield bugs are a very common shield bug throughout Europe, including the British Isles, and are found in a large variety of habitats, including gardens.[2][3] They have been found as far north as 63° N latitude.
| Green shield bug | |
|---|---|
_3.jpg)
| |
| Spring adult in Oxfordshire | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Pentatomidae |
| Genus: | Palomena |
| Species: | P. prasina
|
| Binomial name | |
| Palomena prasina (Linnaeus, 1761)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Life cycle
editIn Europe, the bright green shield bugs appear in April or May, having hibernated as imagoes in humus during the winter. They live by eating the sap from within plants including crops such as apples, pears and hazelnuts.[4] They fatten for a month and then mate in June.
The imago's coloration changes over the summer months from green to greenish browns even bronze to ready for the autumn, after which the life cycle will end.
Mating is back-to-back. The female lays her eggs in hexagonal batches of 25 to 30, and a single female will lay three to four batches. After the eggs hatch, the green shield bug enter a larval stage (which is really their first nymphal stage) where they remain together in sibling communities. This is made possible by the excretion of an aggregation pheromone. In case of danger, another pheromone is released which causes dispersal. The larval stage is followed by four more nymphal stages as well as moulting between each one.
The green shield bug displays different colouration during each nymphal stage, light brown, black or green-black, and in the final stage, the imago, is bright green with short wings. Usually the imago stage is reached in September, with hibernation occurring in November.[5]
Gallery
edit-
Egg mass -
4th instar nymph -
5th instar nymph -
Final-stage nymph -
Green shield bug. Microscope Lumam P-8
_4th_instar_nymph.jpg)
_5th_instar_nymph.jpg)
References
edit- ^ "Palomena prasina". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ^ David V Alford (2016). Pests of Fruit Crops: A Colour Handbook (Second ed.). CRC Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-4822-5421-1.
- ^ "Green shield bugs / RHS Gardening". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Hamidi, Rachid; Calvy, Mélina; Valentie, Emma; Driss, Laetitia; Guignet, Jonas; Thomas, Maud; Tavella, Luciana (2022-03-23). "Symptoms resulting from the feeding of true bugs on growing hazelnuts". Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 170 (6): 477–487. Bibcode:2022EEApp.170..477H. doi:10.1111/eea.13165. ISSN 0013-8703. S2CID 247567135.
- ^ "Green Shield Bug | Also Known As Green Stink Bug". The RSPB. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
External links
edit- Southwood, T. R. E. and Leston, D. (1959) Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles Frederick Warne & Co.
Media related to Palomena prasina at Wikimedia Commons- Green Shieldbug species account at British Bugs
- ARKive page about the green shield bug
