Similar

Having said on yesterday's post that the image being a bit different seemed good enough, today I've swung round like a weathervane (or the Boy Wonder, who can turn on a sixpence, on pretty much any topic) to the position that if a photo is worth taking, it's worth re-taking. I was pretty sure as I was lining up on this Green Shieldbug that I'd posted a very similar image last year, and it turns out that I did - but that was a flash shot, and this was taken in natural light, which to my eye makes it better. And after all, once you've been at this malarkey for a while, it's the knowledge that there's always a better image to be taken if you can but find it that gets you out of the house each day.

My second photo today is another bug - this one a Hairy Shieldbug, preparing to overwinter in dark autumnal colouring. I'd estimate that at this time of year the league table of my garden shieldbug finds reads:

1. Green Shieldbug
2. Parent Bug
3. Hawthorn Shieldbug
4. Juniper Shieldbug
5. Birch Shieldbug
6. Red-legged Shieldbug

I mainly see Hairy Shieldbugs here between May and August, and only occasionally in September and October. According to my records this is the first I've ever found in November, which makes me wonder if it's inclined to go into hibernation early. It also made me wonder for a few seconds if this actually was a Hairy Shieldbug - and my ID app wondered too, suggesting the Mottled Shieldbug as an alternative possibility - but only the Hairy Shieldbug is as whiskery as this little guy, so in the end I'm confident of my identification.

My third choice of victims subjects today is a harvestman, Paroligolophus agrestis, which I've posted to my Facebook page if you'd care to see it.