Birmingham & Black Country SPECIES ATLAS SERIES Shieldbugs and allies Superfamilies: Pentatomoidea, Coreoidea, Pyrrhocoroidea Andy Slater Produced by EcoRecord Introduction The Shieldbugs and allies group covered by this atlas includes species in the following superfamilies within the insect order Hemiptera (‘true bugs’): • Pentatomoidea (Shieldbugs) • Coreoidea (Squashbugs, Rhopalid bugs, Broad- headed bugs and Spurgebugs) • Pyrrhocoroidea (Red bugs) There are around 70 species found in the British Isles, and 29 of these have been recorded in Birmingham and the Black Country. This atlas contains tetrad maps of all of the species recorded in our area based on records held on the EcoRecord database. The records cover the period up to the end of 2019. Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) - photo (c) Andy Slater Cover image: Hawthorn Shieldbug (c) Andy Slater All maps contain Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright and database right 2020 Shieldbugs and allies Shieldbugs are a common sight in our parks and gardens and a few of the species you will undoubtedly already be quite familiar with, such as the Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) – pictured below: Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) – photo © Andy Slater Shieldbugs are characterised by a well-developed scutellum (the hardened extension of the thorax over the abdomen). They are quite flat, and the shape of some species is said to resemble a medieval shield. When disturbed, shieldbugs may release unpleasant odours, giving them their alternative name – stinkbugs. They have piercing, sucking mouthparts which they use to feed on the leaves and fruits of plants, with some species being quite host specific. The best places to spot shieldbugs include along scrubby woodland edges or tall ruderal areason a sunny day between April and September, where you will often see them feeding or basking on plant leaves. Lifecycle Most shieldbugs overwinter as adults and emerge from hibernation in April or May. Once they have spent time feeding, they mate and the female lays eggs, often in in hexagonal batches of 25 to 30. After the eggs hatch, the insect will enter their first instar nymph stage where they often tend to remain together in sibling communities. This stage is followed by four more instar nymph stages as well as moulting between each one. A shieldbug may display different colouration during each nymphal stage. The bug will normally reach adult stage by September. Below are some examples of the nymph stages of a couple of the more common species: Shieldbug Recording in Birmingham and the Black Country Shieldbugs aren’t as well recorded as some other insect groups such as Butterflies, Moths and Dragonflies, but nevertheless we do have 699 records on their database for Birmingham and the Black Country. Shieldbugs are relatively easy to spot and identify making them a nice group for recording beginners. Recent Arrivals Many of the shieldbug families tend to favour warmer temperatures, with many of the UK species showing a strongly southern distribution which partly explains why less than half of the species present in the UK have been recorded in our area. There are a number of species, from whom Birmingham and the Black Country is currently to northern to be within their range, but we’ve seen recently a number of species expanding their range northwards in response to climate change. Species which are recent arrivals to our area include the Cinnamon Bug (Corizus hyoscyami) which was previously only distributed in sandy habitats around the coasts of southern Britain. This species had expanded its range northwards and it was first recorded in Birmingham and the Black Country in 2017, and now we receive regular reports of sightings. Cinnamon Bug (Corizus hyoscyami) – photo © Andy Slater Another recent arrival is the Cabbage Bug (Eurydema oleracea), another species with a southern distribution. This species was first recorded in our area in 2019 and already in 2020 there have been several subsequent sightings. Cabbage Bug (Eurydema oleracea) – photo © Andy Slater In recent years we seem to be finding on average at least 1 new species a year in Birmingham and the Black Country. Though outside of this atlas recording period 2020 has already revealed one new B&BC species – Box Bug (Gonocerus acuteangulatus) which was spotted in Kings Heath Park back in April. This species was historically very rare and known only from Box Hill in Surrey, where it feeds on Box trees. This bug is expanding its range and now occurs widely in the south-east of England and beyond. Box Bug (Gonocerus acuteangulatus) – photo © Andy Slater Another new species spotted in 2020 was Forget-me-not Shieldbug (Sehirus luctuosus) – with three sightings! This species is common but local in southern Britain and is associated with forget-me-not (Myosotis sp). Forget-me-not Shieldbug (Sehirus luctuosus) - Photo © Gilles San Martin Potential Future Arrivals By the time this atlas is next updated we may have acquired even more new shieldbug species in Birmingham and the Black Country. A very striking species to look out for is the Minstrel Bug (Graphosoma lineatum) which is a species normally found in continental Europe and is thought to be not yet established in the UK. Its typical host plant is Cow Parsley, on verges and the edges of woods. This species can turn up as a casual or accidental introduction and we did actually receive one sighting of this species in our area in 2016 in an allotment in Yardley Wood so it’s certainly worth keeping an eye out for! Minstrel Bug (Graphosoma lineatum) – photo © Andy Slater Another European species that may become established in the UK in the future is the Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) which is associated with tree-mallow and limes. The UK is currently the northern edge of its range but a couple of colonies have been previously found in Surrey. *STOP PRESS! In May 2020 a Firebug was recorded in a garden in Birmingham – our 1st B&BC Record Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) – photo © Andy Slater The Shieldbugs and allies – Guide to the Families: SUPERFAMILY PENTAMOIDEA Pentatomidae – True Shieldbugs 22 UK species (15 recorded in B&BC) By far the most common species in this family is the Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) which is pretty much ubiquitous in our area. Acanthosomatidae - Shieldbugs 4 UK species (4 recorded in B&BC) Three of the species are quite common in B&BC, with the most common being the Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) - pictured below: Juniper Shieldbug is less common in our area though is thought to be spreading. It’s main foodplant used to be Juniper, but is now also thought to use Lawson's cypress. Cydnidae – Burrowing Shieldbugs 8 UK species (3* recorded in B&BC) Species in this family have stout spiny legs, used for digging in the ground. As they are gound-dwelling species, they are often tricky to spot. The two species previously recorded in our area are Bordered Shieldbug (Legnotus limbosus) and Pied Shieldbug (Tritomegas bicolor). *In 2020 a third species - Forget-me-not Shieldbug (Sehirus luctuosus) was added to the B&BC list. Scutelleridae – Tortoise Shieldbugs 4 UK species (1 recorded in B&BC) In this family the scutellum is so large that it reaches over the tip of the abdomen, almost covering the wings entirely – and vaguely resembling a tortoise shell. None of the four UK species are particularly common and two of the species are only found in dandy coastal areas. Thyreocoridae – Ebony Bugs 1 UK species (0 recorded in B&BC) The only UK species is the Scarab Shieldbug (Thyreocoris scarabaeoides) which is associated with violets growing on dry sandy or chalky soils. SUPERFAMILY COREOIDEA Alydidae – Broad-headed Bugs 1 UK species (0 recorded in B&BC) The only UK species is Alydus calcaratus which is found on dry heaths and sometimes brownfield sites. Coreidae - Squashbugs 11 UK species (4* recorded in B&BC) These species feed on the seeds and fruits of various plants. The most common species in our area is the Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) which – as the name suggests – can be found feeding on dock and other related plants. A relatively new arrival is the Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis) which is native to the USA and introduced into Europe in 1999, it has since spread rapidly and our first B&BC record came in 2010. *In 2020 a fourth species - Box Bug (Gonocerus acuteangulatus) was added to the B&BC list. Rhopalidae – Rhopalid Bugs 11 UK species (4 recorded in B&BC). The most common species in our area seems to be the recent arrival - Cinnamon Bug (Corizus hyoscyami). This species is associated with a range of plants and can be seen in gardens. Stenocephalidae – Spurgebugs 2 UK species (0 recorded in B&BC) Of the two UK species Dicranocephalus agilis is a coastal species and Dicranocephalus medius is a nationally scarce species of central and southern England where it is species of woodland edges and feeds on Wood Spurge. SUPERFAMILY PYRRHOCOROIDEA Pyrrhcorridae – Redbugs 1 UK species (1* recorded in B&BC) The one UK representative of this family (and superfamily!) is the Firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) which is a common European species, but is yet to become properly established in the UK. *STOP PRESS! In May 2020 this species was recorded in a garden in Birmingham – our 1st B&BC Record Notes: There is a British Heteroptera checklist (2017) here: https://www.britishbugs.org.uk/systematic_het.html Recording in Birmingham and the Black Country Number of Records Species distribution maps are often heavily influenced by the different levels of recording across an area. we've produced a map below to show the number of records in each tetrad (2km square): Top 5 site (no.