Scientific name: Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Size: Up to 17mm long
Distribution: Found throughout the UK, but more common in the south of England
Months seen: April to October
Life span: Up to 2 years
Habitat: Hedgerows, woodland edges, parks and gardens
Food: Sap from hawthorn leaves and berries
Special features: Hawthorn Shield Bugs are a mottled green colour with orange-brown markings on their abdomen and wings. The "shoulders" are pointed and are usually an orange-red colour which camouflages well with the fresh spring shoots of the hawthorn tree.
Adult insects hibernate in crevices in trees and at the base of grassy tussocks.