it's been far too long since i last posted here in Fascinating Insects but it's springtime and not only are the flowers and plants coming to life but with them many insects. one of the more colorful ones is the green shield bug Palomena prasina. this series of photos is from last July while harvesting raspberries in our garden
when it is at home on some leaves it is not so easy to spot this fascinating creature but this bright green bug becomes very obvious on other backgrounds.
this is a mature stage insect or imago that hibernated the winter before, fattened up in on the sap of plants during the spring and has likely already mated earlier summer. now it is living out its days enjoying our raspberries
shield bugs don't bite or sting so they are quite harmless. though as a defence when threatened they can excrete bad smelling fluids as long as you don't get it in your eyes there is no reason for concern.
as long as there are not huge numbers of them they don't damage the plants they draw sap from. so when i find one on our raspberries i am curious, not anxious. insects in general live lives very different from ours.
after a batch of green shield bugs eggs hatch the larvae stick together as a community. the nymphs go through four more nymphal stages changing color in each and moulting between stages. by September they reach maturity and become imagoes. they hibernate for the winter and reappear in April.
so now that i have studied this fine fellow long enough i let it go to find it's way to a nearby bush. i am left wondering how it can stay so green after sucking on bright red raspberry juice.
