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NOTES ON SUFFOLK SHIELDBUGS A. C. HUBBARD This article updates earlier notes on Suffolk Shieldbugs. There are an additional five species with recent records, two of which are nationally scarce, Legnotus picipes and Odontoscelis lineola. Further information is given below on occurrence throughout the year with additional details on host plants. Again distribution is given based on the 10 km square, only new squares being shown. Family – Acanthosomidae Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale (Linnaeus) – Hawthorn Shieldbug Over-wintered adults have been seen from late April and through May with the new generation occurring from late July to the beginning of November. Last instar nymphs have been noted from August to mid-October with a partially moulted adult beaten off Elder late August. Several records are from Cotoneaster sp. and Pyracantha growing in gardens. TL 67; 77; 78; 86; 94; 97. TM 05; 13; 26. Cyphostethus tristriatus (Fabricius) – Juniper Shieldbug (Plate 2) Adults have been found late March, through April and May with a mating pair found in the latter month, further records from August to October. An adult was disturbed from a Leylandii hedge in January and another found frozen in a birdbath, again in January. (A W) TL 84; 94. TM 14; 35. Elasmostethus interstinctus (Linnaeus) – Birch Shieldbug (Plate 3) Adults recorded August, September and October with last instar nymphs midAugust and early September. Most records associated with Birch or vegetation in close proximity, Bracken etc. Again several records are of adults attracted to light during the autumn. TL 77; 84; 87; 88; 94; 97. TM 03; 04; 07; 15; 45; 48; 49. Elasmucha grisea (Linnaeus) – Parent Shieldbug Adults have been seen every month from March to November with most records in May and August to October. Females have been seen with eggs in June on Birch and on one occasion brooding young late in the month. Last instar nymphs were seen on Alder catkins late September and two clusters of nymphs on alder leaves, 25 and 12 respectively, observed at Thorpeness in mid-October. TL 77; 87; 88; 94. TM 04; 13; 34; 48; 49. Family – Cydnidae Legnotus limbosus (Geoffroy) Still proving to be an elusive species with only two additional records, both in June, one at Shingle Street and another at Great We1netham. TL85. TM34.
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Legnotus picipes (Fallen) Previously only one old record from Mildenhall in 1921; it was found in June 1985 at Lakenheath Warren (PK), this is a nationally scarce species. TL 78. Sehirus bicolor (Linnaeus) – Pied Shieldbug Adults are most frequently found in spring with 64 and 40 records in April and May respectively. Nymphs have been found from late June to late August. An adult was found dead in a cobweb at Thorpeness in October. TL 66; 67; 77; 78; 84; 85; 93. TM 06; 26; 36; 47; 48; 49. Sehirus luctuosus (Mulsant & Rey) Prior to 1960, all records were for the Breckland area of the county. Since the paper in 1995, I have received a record for Maidscross Hill, Lakenheath (PK) and it has been found at four sites in the east of the county: Hintlesham, Farnham, Captains Wood, Sudbourne and Bromeswell. The Farnham record involved at least six adults on partially vegetated ground around rabbit burrows in late August. Other records were of single adults in spring. TL 78. TM 04; 35; 45. Family – Scutelleridae Odontoscelis lineola (Rambur) (Plate 4) A nationally scarce species which has been recorded at three localities in the Breckland Maidscross Hill, Lakenheath Warren and Mildenhall with two records in June and one in September (PK). O. dorsalis in the previous paper. TL 77; 78. Eurygaster testudinaria (Geoffroy) (Plate 5) In the previous paper (1995) there were only records for this species prior to 1960. Since then, it has been found at Mildenhall r/s verge, Mildenhall Warren, Aspal Close, Beck Row and West Stow, the latter record being a 4th instar nymph. In the east of the county an adult and nymph were swept from acid grassland on Blaxhall Common in late August and a single adult was found in grassland adjacent to Captain’s Wood, Sudbourne in early September. TL 67 ; 77; 87. TM35;45. Family – Pentatomidae Podops inuncta (Fabricius) – Turtle Bug Recorded along a roadside verge at Mildenhall in early September 1985 (PK) with further records of an adult along roadside verge at Chelsworth in April 2007 and a dead adult swept off grasses at Shingle Street in June of the same year. TL 77; 94. TM 34. Aelia acuminata (Linnaeus) – Bishop’s Mitre Most records are for May and June with the new generation appearing in August and September. A mating pair was found in late May amongst long
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grass and a dead nymph noted in similar habitat in late July. An adult was seen on bramble foliage overhanging a grass verge at Thorpeness in midNovember. TL 67; 68; 77; 78; 87; 94; 98. TM 04; 07; 23; 24; 25; 34; 35; 45; 46. Neottiglossa pusilla (Gmelin) Records for this species since 1995 are from a roadside verge in Mildenhall, Knettishall Heath and Market Weston Fen, two in August and one in early September (PK). TL 77; 97; 98. Eysarcoris fabricii (Kirkaldy) – Woundwort Bug Common in May, June and early July with a new generation in August and September. Mating pairs have been observed from late April to early July with nymphs appearing from late June; last instar nymphs have been seen up to mid-September. four adults were active on the dead leaves of Hedge Woundwort at the beginning of December 2006. TL 74; 76; 77; 97. TM 13; 16; 17; 23; 34; 36; 37; 38. Palomina prasina (Linnaeus) – Green Shieldbug Over-wintered adults start to appear mid-March through to mid-June; mating pairs have been observed during May. Nymphs have been recorded from late July, through August and September with the latest record for a last instar nymph 11th October. The adults turn brown prior to hibernation in November and have been found in leaf litter during this month. Twelve adults plus three last instar nymphs were found on a patch of Nettles along a field edge adjacent to a garden in Bromeswell in late August 2008. TL 76; 77; 83; 85; 86; 87; 94; 95; 96; 97; 98. TM 03; 13; 14; 16; 17; 23; 24; 25; 26; 33; 36; 37; 38; 45; 46; 48. Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus) – Sloe Bug Adults are evident in April, May and June with the new generation appearing from mid-August through to early October. Several records are for gardens on a variety of plants including Buddleja, Aubrieta, Dahlia, Lilac (seed head) and Pittosporum. At least 30 were found on spikes of Dark Mullein in late August at West Stow Country Park (AW). Nymphs have been found in late August and mid- September. A hibernating adult was disturbed from soil under ivy in mid-January. TL 77; 83; 85; 87; 94; 97. TM 05; 24; 25; 34; 35. Piezodorus lituratus (Fabricius) – Gorse Shieldbug (Plate 6) Although over-wintering adults are seen on mild days during the winter, the majority of records are from mid-March through to early June with the new generation evident late July through to early October. Last instar nymphs have been recorded late July, August and September. Nearly all records associated with Gorse, one record of an adult on Laburnum in a garden in Bromeswell and also five adults on Hop foliage at Hacheston in May, Broom was growing
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nearby. Seven adults found on Gorse covered in mould at Benacre Pits in December. TL 77; 78; 87; 88; 97. TM 13; 33. Pentatoma rufipes (Linnaeus) – Forest Bug Adults seen late July through to late October, a regular visitor to MTB lamp during August at Monks Eleigh (AW). Nymphs seen June and early July. TL 77; 86; 94; 97. TM 03; 04; 05; 07; 13; 14; 24; 25; 45; 46. Picromerus bidens (Linnaeus) Adults have been recorded August to October with mating pairs seen in September and October. One seen with sawfly larva in May and one attracted to MY lamp at Shingle Street in September (AW). TL 68; 77; 94; 97. TM 47. Troilus luridus (Fabricius) Adults have been seen from early April to the end of May with a new generation appearing from August to early November. Last instar nymphs during August on bramble and Elder foliage. TL 86; 87; 88; 94. TM 03; 05; 13; 34; 36; 38; 46. Rhacognathus punctatus (Linnaeus) Additional records to that seen at Bromeswell are an adult on Bracken at Sutton Heath and up to six on a sandy track near Heather at Dunwich Heath, both during August. TM 34; 46. Zicrona caerulea (Linnaeus) – Blue Shieldbug (see cover photo) Recorded at Redgrave and Lopham Fen, Market Weston Fen and Hopton Fen on the Norfolk-Suffolk border. An additional two records are for gardens, one at Monks Eleigh (AW) and one at Eyke. All records are of adults, most occurring in late July/August. TL 94; 97. TM 07; 13; 35; 45; 46; 48. Acknowledgements I thank Dr Peter Kirby (PK) for his records received following the last article, particularly for West Suffolk (Breckland), and Arthur Watchman (AW) for records in the south-west of the county and finally to Tony Butcher. References Hawkins, R. D., (2003). Shieldbugs of Surrey. Surrey Wildlife Trust. Hubbard, A.C., (1995). Notes on Suffolk Shieldbugs. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 31: 20–24. A. C. Hubbard Treetops, Common Lane, Bromeswell, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2PQ
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COVER ILLUSTRATION Blue Shieldbug Zicrona caerulea (Linnaeus).
Plate 2: Juniper Shieldbug Cyphostethus tristriatus Fabricius (p. 11).
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Plate 3: Birch Shieldbug Elasmostethus interstinctus (Linnaeus) (p. 11).
Plate 4: Odontoscelis lineola (Rambur), a nationally scarce shieldbug found in Breckland (p. 12).
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Plate 5: Eurygaster testudinaria (Geoffroy) (p. 12).
Plate 6: Gorse Shieldbug Piezodorus lituratus (Fabricius) (p. 13).