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Photography with cameras
Nikon D3x, Nikon D300, Canon 50D
Image editing with Photoshop |
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| | | Hawthorn shield bug | | Hawthorn shield bugs (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) is a species in the order true bugs (Hemiptera), the suborder typical bugs (Heteroptera), the family shield bugs (Acanthosomatidae) and the genus Acanthosoma. It is one of the most common shield bug species in Europe. | | |
| | | Adult hawthorn shield bugs reach body lengths of 15 - 17 mm. Their heads have a pattern of black and yellow stripes. They have red to red-brown stripes on the wing covers which at the edge of the pronotum look like a triangle. This colouration acts as camouflage making the bug difficult to distinguish from its environment. The colouration of the abdomen’s upper surface changes seasonally and has green, brown and reddish tones. The head, pronotum and scutellum are covered in black dots. The keel of the abdomen’s roof shaped underside has a sting-like appendage. Beside the legs are defensive glands, which produce secretions with an unpleasant odour, when there is a threat from their natural enemies (i. e. birds). In the larvae these glands are located on the abdomen. | | |
| | | The hawthorn shield bug often lives alone in forests, on trees in fields and in forest edges. They prefer hawthorn shrubs, hedges and rowan and are active from April to October. They live on plant juices, preferably from berries. Their larvae live off juices from the leaves. | | |
| | | The hawthorn shield bug reproduces once a year. The females lay their eggs on hawthorn shrubs. The larvae hatch in June and after shedding their skin five times, reach maturity in August. The adult bugs overwinter on the soil. | | |
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| Frequent Queries: | | hawthorn shield bug (3) | | Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale (3) | | Hawthorn Shield Bug bite (3) | | shield bug sting (2) | | shield bug shedding skin (1) | | forest shield bug sting (1) | | sheild bug sting (1) |
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