I was wondering what my random act of wildness would be for today, when I spotted an insect on the outside of the window. Admittedly it’s not something you normally see from this angle, so it took me a while to figure out exactly what it was, but thanks to my book of wildlife, plus the UK Safari photo guide, I’m pretty sure it’s a Green Shield Bug.
They do look almost freaky from this angle, especially when you see it crawling over the glass! The colours aren’t overly clear, but when you look from a different angle, suddenly you can see various shades of green, leading into brown at the rear.
They feed on plant sap and are commonly seen in parks and gardens between April and October. I’m guessing this particular one was trying to get to the houseplant on the window sill, and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t able to get through the glass!
During the summer months, Shield Bugs are bright green, to blend in with the foliage; in the Autumn, they turn totally brown so they can camouflage themselves in leaves that have fallen from the trees.