186/366 Miscellaneous minis

04 Saturday Jul 2020

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British insects, Common Green Shieldbug, Grypocoris stysi, harlequin ladybird, Ichneumonid wasp, Orange ladybird

These are a few recent insect that have caught my eye …

200704 1 common green shieldbug

First up, the 4th instar of a Common green shieldbug that was walking along the outside of a building as I passed. These mini-beasties go through five different instars (stages) before becoming adults. For more see A (shield)bug’s life, September 2016.

200704 2 Grypocoris stysi

A flower bug that loves umbellifers, Grypocoris stysi. You can read more about him/her in my previous blog, Get a Gryp-o!, July 2016.

I found this Orange ladybird browsing on leaves covered with a white mould, their favourite food. See more on these little cuties in A Blast of Orange, July 2017.

200704 5 wasp black ichneumonid

I’ve been spotting a lot of Ichneumonid wasps this year. Most are quite difficult to identify, as you need to photograph them from several different angles to capture all the identifying features and I find they don’t usually stay still long enough.

200704 6 ladybird harlequin

And, last for today, what I think is a Harlequin ladybird, judging from the patterns on the now-empty pupa case. When newly emerged, ladybirds are often pale coloured and dot-less – the colours darken and the spots emerge in their first few hours as adults.

The bug called Grypo

20 Wednesday Jun 2018

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

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#30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, British insects, Grypocoris stysi, National Insect Week, plant bug

180620 Grypocoris stysi (1)

On day 20 of #30DaysWild, I went looking for plant bugs – it is National Insect Week after all – and I found newly opened umbellifer flower heads fairly swarming with the unmistakeable plant bug, Grypocoris stysi. Look for them during June and July, mostly feasting on the pollen of umbellifer and nettle flowers, though they’re also quite partial to the occasional aphid. There are over 10,000 species of plant / leaf / grass bugs, but little Grypo’s distinctive markings mean it’s one that’s easy to identify.

Get a gryp–o!

14 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

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Calocoris (Grypocoris) stysi, Grypocoris (Lophyromiris) stysi, Grypocoris stysi, leaf bug, Miridae, plant bug

A Grypocoris (Lophyromiris) stysi that is – the bug formerly known as Calocoris (Grypocoris) stysi. Though it’s a relatively common bug and can be found throughout Britain, this little dude has no common name so I’ve taken to calling it Grypo – those Latin names are just too long-winded to get my tongue around and not so easy on the memory either.

160714 grypocoris stysi (1)

So, the Grypos are out in force at the moment. Their eggs hatch in May, they eat up large during June and July – mostly on nettles and umbellifers, though the odd snack of aphid also goes down a treat – and by the end of August they’re gone. They’re wee things, between 6 and 8mm long, so not always easy to spot but their distinctive patterning means they are, at least, easy to identify – not the case with many of Britain’s bug community.

Grypo is one of the myriad Miridae family, which includes more than 10,000 species of plant / leaf / grass bugs. As many members of Grypo’s extended family are stem-piercing sap-sucking plant pests, they frequently suffer from bad press. Rest assured, little Grypo is one of the good guys.