“Vimes had believed all his life that the Watch were called coppers because they carried copper badges, but no, said Carrot, it comes from the old word cappere, to capture.”
– Terry Pratchett, ‘Men at Arms’
I’ve found another shieldbug! Turns out, there are quite a lot (translation: chuffin’ millions) of them out there …. which does slightly beg the question of how I’ve never noticed them before. Never mind, I may be late to the party, but I’m partying hard nevertheless.
I’d really like to tell you that I knew all about this species, had gone out specifically to look for it , and found it right where I thought I would. But I would absolutely be lying. What I was actually doing was taking pictures of the Hedge Woundwort because it’s awfully pretty and quite frequently overlooked in favour of more flashy blooms. This particular bug is a Woundwort Shieldbug (Eysarcoris venustissimus), which feeds (as its name would suggest) on Woundwort and White Deadnettle. Not only are there quite a lot of shieldbugs out there, but it seems they’re quite specialised as well.
It makes me happy that such specialism exists in nature; there’s a deep sense of satisfaction in knowing that everything has its place, even if that place seems quite niche. Unfortunately, the same rigid specialism can lead to extinction as a cascade effect from even the smallest environmental changes. Perhaps the ability of Hedge Woundwort to go unnoticed is a positive here … if no one notices it, they won’t bother to get rid, and if no one gets rid, these little bugs can carry on with their lives, undisturbed by everyone (except random passers by armed with cameras!).
This shieldbug is smaller than the other species I’ve seen, only about 7 or 8mm long, broader and shorter. This somehow makes it seem more rotund, which gives it a charming air as it trundles placidly across its chosen leaves. It has those natty black and white chequered skirts (more officially known as the connexivum) and black and white striped antennae (four segments, I counted) to boot. But its most striking feature is that gorgeous, burnished copper scutellum (the shield after which the family is named) that sits atop a grey and white granite background.
These particular individuals had been busy; on almost every flower spike over a hundred yard stretch, I found patches of pearly cream eggs nestled amongst the hairs. I really must remember to go back once the nymphs have had time to emerge and see how many there are. Especially as those nymphs are (so the internet tells me) delightfully spotted, having almost smily faces emblazoned across their behinds.
I also found one patch of darker beige eggs that were situated on the top of a leaf rather than on the underside. I’ve seen a comment from someone I follow on Instagram that suggested shieldbugs have the ability to choose the colour of their eggs when they lay them; the extra colour acts as a UV filter, protecting the developing embryos. I can’t find anything to support this, but it’s a lovely idea. Built in sunscreen sounds like a great plan. Alternatively, maybe they’re from a different species (I did see the occasional Sloe Bug hanging out in the same patch of plants) or at a different stage of development?
absolutelynotnormal 