Common Green Shield Bug

Description:

A large shieldbug with a dark wing membrane and reddish antennae (4th and 5th segments). Adults are bright green in the spring and summer, but finely punctured with dark marks. They become a darker bronze-brown prior to winter hibernation

Habitat:

Common and widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, becoming scarcer further north. May be found in many habitats, including parks and gardens.

Notes:

There is one generation per year; the nymphs feed on many deciduous trees and shrubs, particularly hazel, and can be found from June to October. Later nymphs are often darker than those found earlier in the season. Newly-emerged adults may show a pale wing membrane, leading to possible confusion with Nezara viridula, a recent arrival in southern England.