Green Shieldbug

This is a true 'bug' (part of the order Hemiptera) unlike the many insects and even other orders of invertebrates that get called bugs these days. Don't use the term loosely if you don't want to see an entomologist explode! This is the Green Shieldbug, Palomena prasina, which is very common in gardens. It does eat a few leaves in my herbaceous beds but I would never want to control it. The shapes and colours of the different shieldbugs are just wonderful. With a hand lens you can see the surface pits that affect the way light is reflected and help to give them distinctive deep colours.