The Southern Green Shield Bug

[oldie]

Just looked at your picture TEB. Definitely not the ones I found and posted about.

[womble]

WE have the common green shield bug and unless they are with you in overwhelming numbers then there isnt any need to deal with them, I have posted a picture of a baby in the wildlife gardening show us your wildlife picture thread a few days ago, the adult is similair except the dark coloured area is on its bum only

OK thanks for the advice, I just panicked a bit, I've only seen one so no great disaster yet. Hard to see though, it's exactly the same colour as the leaves of the beans. I wonder if shaking the canes will knock any off?

The RHS does say
"They feed by sucking sap from a wide range of plants but generally cause no noticeable damage to cultivated plants, even when numerous."

It also says
"The native common green shield bug is harmless, so control measures are not required."
So you should be fine, it's only the SGSB you need worry about.

[Storming Norman]

We have had these for a few years now.

Like the lily beetle - always satisfying to find and stamp on them.

However I did not know what a serious pest they were - must look a little harder.

[starloc]

I had them a few weeks back on the cucumber plants, they kiled them in a few days, even though i killed them all the plants still died, i just saw the plants very wilted one morning and they were all over the plants about 20 of them, no other plants though just the cucumber plants, have seen no more since i killed them

[snohare]

If they suck sap then there is the potential for them to spread disease, particularly viruses. I suppose the good news is that if your plants die then you know there are viruses going around in your area - as if that does you any good !
Best not to kill the native shield bugs, they will be competing against the continental invaders and will probably spread the viruses less effectively.