Marathon bonking record?

[StuartUK]

Here are two photos of a pair of Common Green Shieldbugs, Palomena prasina, taken in the garden almost exactly 24 hours apart (I have annotated the images with the timestamps from the camera). They are in EXACTLY the same place on the same leaf! Now, I have no proof it is the same pair, but as far as I can see their markings look very similar! (this species is very variable in ground colour right through to quite deep red-brown or dark olive) I know it is the same leaf ‘cause I had to bend a stem of Cow-parsley out of the way to get the camera in – so the bent stem marks the position accurately. Of course it is also possible they went away and did something else in between and have a daily tryst on this particular sunny leaf.

 

[gerry s]

Or they have passed away

 

[DinkyDarwin]

If they are the same pair the one on the right has lost a lot of green on its top and a seems to have a foot thats gone black. So yes maybe dead bugs.

 

[jakeblu]

If they are the same pair the one on the right has lost a lot of green on its top and a seems to have a foot thats gone black. So yes maybe dead bugs.

What a way to go!

 

[Deleted member 3428]

Get a room. In the second shot the top bug has half the wing case missing so may well be different bugs.

 

[StuartUK]

No they aren't dead, they were definitely moving! Willing to believe that it is just a nice, sunny, convenient spot for shieldbugs to get together. I will check again tomorrow and report back.