Shieldbugs

About this book

*We have a very limited number of bookplates signed by Richard for this edition, available while stocks last

Shieldbugs are lovely. Why else would we give them such an elegant heroic heraldic name? They are chunky, glossy, often large and strongly coloured and many are suitably shield-shaped. They walk with a friendly clockwork waddle or take to the air with a calm and confident buzz. Some give off a mild, oily almond scent if handled, but they do not bite, and even the few with prominent, sharp shoulder thorns are not considered dangerous. Though a couple of species might take an occasional liking to the broad beans growing at the back of the garden, most are seen as harmless and non-threatening. What's not to like?

Shieldbugs belong to the diverse insect order Hemiptera — a huge group of perhaps 100,000 species worldwide, which also includes aphids, whiteffies, scale insects, leafhoppers, froghoppers, spittlebugs, cicadas, lanternflies, capsids, bedbugs, water scorpions, water boatmen, backswimmers and water-skaters. Among this daunting biodiversity, large, bright shieldbugs offer themselves easily to the general field naturalist – part of a burgeoning array of stepping-stone insect groups like dragonflies, grasshoppers, bees and hoverflies. They are slightly more difficult to identify than butterflies and moths, but not as tricky as fleas or flea beetles. There are roughly 80 species recorded from the British Isles; many of them can be identified from a photo, or under a hand lens, when held gently between finger and thumb. Nevertheless, they offer a bright window through which to study nature, the environment, conservation and ecology.

As well as being an identification guide to Britain's shieldbugs (and others which might colonise in the near future), Richard Jones’ groundbreaking New Naturalist volume on shieldbugs encourages those enthusiasts who would otherwise be put off by the, to date, rather technical literature that has dominated the field, providing a comprehensive natural history of this fascinating and beautiful group of insects.

Contents

Editor's preface   vii
Author's foreword and acknowledgements   viii

1. What is a Shieldbug?   1
2. Shieldbug Structure   25
3. Life Histories: Breeding and Feeding   55
4. Dangers and Defences   93
5. Evolution of Shieldbugs and a History of British Species   123
6. History of Shieldbug Study   145
7. Key to British Shieldbug Species   187
8. British Shieldbug Species   225
9. How to Study Shieldbugs   371

Appendix 1: Selected British and Irish Shieldbug Foodplants   395
Appendix 2: Shieldbug-related Websites and Apps   400
Glossary   401
References   409
Picture Credits   420
Species Index   424
General Index   436

Customer Reviews (1)

Biography

Richard Jones is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, a past president of the British Entomological Society and author of several books on insects, wildlife and gardening. He also contributes articles on insects and the environment to several high-profile newspapers and magazines (including the Guardian, BBC Wildlife and Gardener's World Magazine), and appears regularly on radio and television.