Southern Green Shieldbug

On August 14th this year I found a bright green Shieldbug in the MV moth trap which I was pretty sure was a new species for me - not the common Green (Palomino prasina) but the far more localised Southern Green (Nezara viridula), a species that has been increasing in eastern and southern parts of England since the turn of the millennium. The photograph below illustrates nicely the presence of white dots at the front of the scutellum, an identification pointer for viridula.

Then a few days ago an unfamiliar insect landed on my arm as I was making a cup of tea in the kitchen. After quickly potting it up I was able to identify it - with old-fashioned perusal of field guides (albeit on-line) - as a mid-instar Southern Green! I think you might agree that this younger stage knocks its final appearance into a cocked hat.

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