Green Shield and Pied Shield

Green Shield Bug, Palomena prasina, 4th instar nymph.  Orchid Bank, High Elms Country Park, 30 July 2011.

I didn't see the adult forms of either of these two, though the first at least should be pretty common. It looks rather plain compared to the other shield bugs, and particularly the bright creature below, but at least it has a good disguise.

I saw the second one by accident whan I was photographing the plant it was crawling on, which is a Black Horehound, related to the dead-nettles. This plant is said to have a strong and unpleasant smell, so I have picked and crushed a lot of leaves this year to test this, but I don't find it unpleasant. Perhaps I have only come across weak specimens. (Late correction: The creature below is a final instar nymph of the Brassica Bug, not the Pied Shieldbug. Learning continues!).

One of the tricky things about insects is the way their younger forms often look very different from the adults.

Final instar nymph of the Brassica Bug, Eurydema oleracea, on Black Horehound, Ballota nigra.
Gates Green Road, Coney Hall, 5 September 2011.