Invertebrates
Green Shield Bug
Palomena prasina
On a bramble leaf in July, a bright green shield bug sits motionless, its shield-shaped back almost perfectly matching the leaf beneath it.
Overview
The green shield bug, Palomena prasina, is a Not Evaluated bug of gardens, hedgerows, and woodland edges across Europe and parts of western Asia. Its seasonal colour change and stink glands make it one of the most familiar and most distinctive bugs of European gardens.
A bug that changes with the season
The bug is green while leaves are green, and turns bronze as they fall, a camouflage change that tracks the colours of the plants around it.
Status
Not Evaluated globally, though widespread and common.
Green Shield Bug: common questions
Why does the green shield bug change colour?
It is bright green in summer, which blends with leaves, and turns bronze-brown in autumn, which helps it to hide in leaf litter over winter.
Why does it smell?
It gives off a foul-smelling liquid from glands on its body if it is disturbed, which deters many predators.
What does the green shield bug eat?
It pierces leaves, shoots, and fruit with a needle-like beak to suck out the sap, on plants such as hazel, bramble, and nettle.
Where is the green shield bug found?
It lives in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland edges across Europe and parts of western Asia.