Nettle bug

Nettle Ground Bug (Heterogaster urticae)

Right now, our Common Nettle plants are liberally sprinkled with mating pairs of Nettle Ground Bugs – and according to things I've been reading whilst researching this post, they may remain linked together for days! When they're done, the female will lay her eggs in the ground near a nettle plant (usually Common Nettle, but occasionally one of its close relatives). That plant will serve as host to the developing larvae, which should reach adulthood by September. These adults will overwinter, hibernating during the coldest months and re-emerging in the spring when the temperatures rise again. The above picture is far larger than life-sized; the bug itself measures a mere 6–7 mm (about a quarter of an inch) long. The alternating light and dark patches on the sides of its abdomen help to identify it, as do its stripey legs, its all-dark antennae and the long, erect hairs on its head and pronotum (the part of the insect just behind its head). It's common and widespread in open areas of southern England and Wales (basically anywhere nettles are found), and is spreading northwards, with recent records from as far north as Scotland. We're happy for them to eat all of the nettles they want; we have far more of that than we'd like in many corners of the garden.