I’ve blogged about Gorse shieldbugs (Piezodorus lituratus) before, in particular the adult bugs and their amazing little barrel-shaped eggs (in A bug and its eggs, April 2022) but I’ve only once before seen one of the intermediate stages of the nymphs between egg and adult (a second instar – see A shieldbug selection, September 2021). Until last week, that is. And these Gorse shieldbugs, of various instars, were actually grazing on Broom rather than Gorse. (The British Bugs website has both photographs and a chart of the diversely coloured nymphs, if you’re interested in more information.)