Worcestershire Record No. 22 April 2007 p. 26

John Partridge

This year looks like being a good year for the White Deadnettle, Lamium album, and so might also be a good year for finding the Pied Shieldbug, Sehirus bicolor, which lives on the ground around patches of the plant, and climbs the plant to feed.

It does not appear very often, but if we get warm or hot days this May, it may be possible to see it on the plants.

It is glossy black, with white patches, the most distinctive of which is shaped like a C near the front of the wings, and has a length of 5.5 to 7.5 mm, excluding the antennae.

The records that we have at WBRC are scattered all over the county, but are not many in number, so please keep your eyes open, and keep us informed of any sightings.

Extra note: This was published too late to  catch the good weather, but it is beginning to appear that the soil structure under the plants may have an effect on the distribution - since the insects live in the ground, they may need a friable soil.