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A gorse shieldbug standing on a gorse bush. IT's a green shieldbug with red antennae and yellow sides to the abdomen

Gorse shieldbug © Vaughn Matthews

Gorse shieldbug

Scientific name: Piezodorus lituratus
As the name suggests, this large shieldbug is often found on gorse bushes.

Species information

Statistics

Length: 10-13mm

Conservation status

Common

When to see

All year

About

These large shieldbugs are usually found on gorse or broom, but their larvae (known as nymphs) will also feed on other plants including dyer's greenweed. They occur just about anywhere that their host plants grow, including heathland and scrubby areas. The adults come in two colour forms. In spring they're mostly green, but the new generation that emerges in summer have purplish-red markings on their back. Their colouration can make them hard to spot on their host plants, but if you find one keep searching as there are likely to be more nearby.

How to identify

A fairly large shieldbug, with their typical shield-like shape. In spring, adults are green with a distinctive yellow margin on the sides of the pronotum (the section of body behind the head) and the abdomen. The antennae are red. In summer, parts of the back are reddish-brown.

Distribution

Widespread across the UK

Did you know?

Gorse shieldbugs spend the winter as an adult. They have been recorded sheltering over winter at the base of trees, in conifer foliage, and in empty seed pods.