After such a cold, wet March, it feels comforting to be gardening with the warmth of spring sunshine on my back. A shieldbug, coaxed from hibernation among last autumn’s fallen leaves and sunbathing on a dandelion, seems to be revelling in it too.
It’s a hairy shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum, about the size of my smallest fingernail, clad in heraldic shield-shaped chitinous body armour, emblazoned in purple and bronze, with black and white banded antennae. A recent arrival from southern counties, it is currently expanding its range northwards, probably in response to climate change.
