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A Bugs Life

Suninfrance

By Suninfrance
in Wildlife/Nature/Environment

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Christine Animal Newbie

Christine Animal

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Jan, you need to put it, the photo, on the net first (in your "store") and then go and get it to post it here.  Perhaps it is one of those green flat things we have found down here (Poitou-Charentes) at about the same time of year, that we didn't get up in the Perche.  There has been an explosion of them lately, especially around the windows.  The ones I mean have a particular smell which stays on you if you touch them. 

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Deimos Newbie

Deimos

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From your description (no picture) sounds like shield bugs. (Cannot see any picture but assuming you are in France then I’m guessing a bit – ‘cos round me and neighbouring depts I see absolutely loads everywhere). Probably a bit like http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0900/green_shield_bug.asp but brown ?

If you touch them and smell your fingers they smell horrible. I’m told they are herbivores and come indoors for warmth. However, I still see loads outside at this time of year.

Ian

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Christine Animal Newbie

Christine Animal

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"I used the "insert picture" icon above, so surely that should work."

Jan, you can't post a photo directly from your computer.  You have to put it on the net (security reasons), copy the link and post it here in the same way by putting the link in the insert a photo thing.  Russethouse uses a different way of linking it, which I have never understood.  Gay?

Can't get your link Ian.

Just had a look Jan, can't see your red squirrel either.  You can see it as it is from your computer.  I went throught this a while ago, posting photos without knowing that noone else could see them!

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Deimos Newbie

Deimos

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Quote: “Can't get your link Ian.”

You will need to cut and paste the link (as I cannot insert hyperlinks in as I’m not an IE user. I just tried again (cutting and pasting) and showed the page OK. However, try:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/guide/atoz/g/greenshieldbug.asp

http://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/P1/P19393.HTM

http://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/P5/P56995.HTM

or just www.google.co.uk and search for “shield bug” (using the double quotes) and you should get loads of links.

Ian

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Christine Animal Newbie

Christine Animal

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Green shield bug

Palomena prasina

This flat, shield-shaped bug is common throughout England and Wales, but less so in Scotland. It is bright green and stippled with tiny black dots in spring and summer, but changes to greeny-bronze in autumn. Its wing tips are dark brown. Adult shield bugs hibernate in grass tussocks or leaf litter and emerge in May. Females lay clusters of small, barrel-shaped eggs on the undersides of leaves. These hatch into wingless nymphs, which crawl between plants to feed, and become the new generation of adults in September. These bugs can often be seen basking in the sun during late summer before they hibernate. Both adults and nymphs suck plant sap. It is sometimes called a green stink bug as it produces a pungent odour from special glands if handled or disturbed.


Green shield bug

 

The link worked this time and that's exactly what I mean Ian!  don't know if this is the one Jan means.  It's funny because I had never seen them before in England or Normandy only down here in Poitou-Charentes, yet they say it is common in England and Wales.

Jan, you have already put some of your photos on a Wanadoo thing, otherwise there is PhotoBucket (www.photo-bucket.com)

where you just post your photo, then get it and put it here.  If you like, you can send me your photo and I shall try to do it for you.

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Deimos Newbie

Deimos

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Darn. Felt sure it must have been as here (72 and 49) there are loads and ,loads of them that appear early Oct (both indoors and outdoors). They get everywhere. I must have 10 crawling around this room at the moment so I was convinced from the month.

So, 20 questions

1. bigger or smaller than a fly ?

Is there a prize for the 1st correct post (and no cheating by editing previous posts!!!).

Ian

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Christine Animal Newbie

Christine Animal

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Jan hasn't sent me the photo, so we shall have to continue to guess..

First prize could be an orange tooth necklace (that's what I would prefer), or would you prefer the Toque Ian?  I have a question for Chris, which should be on the other thread, why are ragondin's teeth orange?  You can have a jar of paté if you give the right answer.

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Deimos Newbie

Deimos

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Shortly after first moving here I found this large skull in the brambles (partly buried). I was sure it was from something escaped from the zoo ‘cos it was quite large. I asked a local farmer what it was and didn’t understand his response except that I was convinced it was some local joke as nothing that big or with such massive orange teeth could live so close to my house. But then over time I learnt better. In fact I’ve one in the mill pond (swims up-river most nights) and I think he’s a capybara (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara or http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/ or anywhere else) not a rangondin.

Ian

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chris pp Newbie

chris pp

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Salut Christine, All rodents teeth are made using yellow enamel, sorry I don't know the composition. In the case of ragondin its just obvious because their teeth protrude ( stick out a bit as well )

Another mini diversion, there are a great number of shield bugs and they come in a variety of colours and patterns, including red with black stripes, I expect most will have seen it.

The only other insect, but not a bug, that there are a lot of at the moment are crane flies.

Best, Chris

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Christine Animal Newbie

Christine Animal

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So now Ian has a Capybara.  It says on your site that they can be eaten by Catholics.  It also says you can buy capybara earrings, maybe I'll have a pair of those instead.

http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/

Ian, have you seen the link I put to your skull on the Ragondin section?

Chris, you mention yellow enamel, not orange, so you can have half a jar of paté  

Back to the bugs, we have had a lot of black beetles lately.

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Deimos Newbie

Deimos

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Quote (Chris pp): “Another mini diversion, there are a great number of shield bugs and they come in a variety of colours and patterns, including red with black stripes, I expect most will have seen it.”

Around me (and my travels over the last couple of weeks – depts 72 and 49) they all seem to be a pretty uniform brown and they are certainly everywhere. I’ve not seen any other colours or patterns around me. Before I found out what they were I was a bit worried about them doing (or having done) damage to the house !!.

Ian

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chris pp Newbie

chris pp

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First, thank you Jan for sending the excellent picture.  So, none of us guessed right - pretty poor students. Actually I don't see many of these at this time of year where I am, tend to see them in late spring / early summer.

It's a grillon ( cricket ) Variety:  Nemobius Sylvestrius, I think.  Jan could probably give a better idea, this type likes to live amongst trees, in dead leaves and in mosses.

Thanks Jan, Best Chris

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