Status of shieldbugs on the Sefton Coast, north Merseyside

Comprising the families Acanthosomatidae, Scutellaridae, Cydnidae, Thyreocoridae and Pentatomidae, shieldbugs comprise one of the most easily recognised groups of true bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera). About 43 species have been recorded for Britain and Ireland but a high proportion has a southern and eastern distribution. In common with several other insect groups responding to warming temperatures (Stewart & Kirby 2010), many shieldbugs are expanding their range northwards. As a consequence, several species have appeared for the first time in northwest England during recent decades (Judd, 2010).

Acanthosomatidae All Climate Change Cydnidae Dr Phil Smith Hemiptera Heteroptera Pentatomidae Scutellaridae Sefton Sefton Coast Shieldbug Species Thyreocoridae

Status of shieldbugs on the Sefton Coast, north Merseyside

Ben