[webwahm]

Have found a few of these, in small groups on top of the soil when I'm clearing out my new patch. 

Although I found out what they are called I can't seem to find much online about whether they are friend or foe to the gardener - although I did read that they are predators and will eat the larvae of a 'leaf beetle'.


Img (c) wildaboutbritain.co.uk

[Salmo]

I know nothing about the blue shield bugs.

Green shield bugs can be a pest eating raspberries and blackberries but usually there are not enough of them to bother about. When they have been on a fruit it tastes revolting. If you hold them on your hand it takes some time to get of the distinctive smell.

[cob nut]

Shield bugs are also known as stink bugs as they can produce a powerful defesive odour from the glands on the thorax.  I have seen quite a few shield/stink bugs but not one this colour, I think that some of them feed off insects, caterpillars & beetle grubs whilst others feed off plants.

[Leedsniner]

Perhaps it is a mutant. 

[JayG]

Good link here (although the blue shield bug entry is duplicated for some reason; best to view before your G&T!)

[sunshineband]

So it is called a Blue Bug then 

[JayG]

Yup! (another interesting fact: tends to suffer from depression much more than the green shield bug!) 

[mumofstig]

DOH 

[sunshineband]

Yeah!

[webwahm]

Thanks for the link.

...so the Blue Bug is from the Shield Bug family and aka 'Stink Bugs' but don't seem to be too harmless so I will see how things go and whether I see any more next year now that I've removed their home :happy: