Tree damsel bug

Damsel bugs are elongated bugs, with long, strong legs; they're usually brown, and often short-winged. They are predatory, eating a range of other invertebrates via their piercing mouthparts, and are considered to be beneficial to humans. There are over five hundred species worldwide, but only twelve are found in the UK. No-one seems quite sure why they're called damsel bugs, but some species rest with their forelegs raised, ready to grasp hold of prey, and I've read a suggestion that this gave rise to the common name because it makes them look like young ladies holding up their long skirts. It's silly, of course, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's untrue.

This tree damsel bug (Himacerus apterus) is a female - males are fairly straight-bodied, lacking her generously curved abdomen. She's about 1cm long, and as you can see from her stumpy wings, she's flightless. As the common name suggests, H. apterus lives in trees, where it feeds on mites, aphids, and other small invertebrates. I beat this specimen from a hazel tree, but the other day I found one lurking in an ivy flower about two metres up an elder tree, and I've also spotted them on the maples in our wild garden. Adults are best seen in the late summer and autumn; their eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring, and the nymphs, which are also predatory, can be found from spring through early summer.

For the record: my best 'catch' of the day today was a gorse shieldbug (Piezodorus literatus), which I beat from our quince tree. I'd never seen one of these large shieldbugs before, and certainly never expected one to turn up in our garden, given that we don't have gorse or any kind of broom growing here. Sadly, my only evidence is the record shot I took while it was still in my sweep net: no sooner had I gently placed it back on the quince than it hurled itself off again, and I lost it.

Before I go, I'd like to remind you that tomorrow is Tiny Tuesday. Please do join in the challenge, by photographing something small at close quarters, and tagging your post TT384. I'll look through all the entries on Thursday, and award hearts to my favourites.