Slow Down

Sloe Bug (Dolycoris baccarum)

One of the things I'm finding thoroughly enjoyable about this new project is the fact that it's making me slow down and look closely at every corner of the garden. And I'm finding some pretty striking things that I've never noticed before. This gorgeous little creature is a Sloe Bug (Dolycoris baccarum), another one of Britain's shield bugs. Unlike the rather plain Dock Bug of a couple of posts ago, this one is mighty fancy. It's most common in wood margins and hedgerows (like the one running along one edge of our property) and feeds on the fruits and flowers of a variety of plants. The stripey sides and antennae help to separate it from the superficially similar Hawthorn Shield Bug, which we'll be keeping an eye out for too, given the preponderance of Hawthorns in the area. Check out the hairy legs too; that's another thing that separates them from other shield bugs. Adult Sloe Bugs are found all across Great Britain and Ireland throughout the year, though most are dormant for the winter.