Piezodorus lituratus (Fabricius, 1794)
(Gorse Shieldbug)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesPiezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
SubfamilyPENTATOMINAE (a subfamily of phytophagous shield bugs)
FamilyPENTATOMIDAE (a family of shieldbugs)
SuperfamilyPENTATOMOIDEA (shieldbugs)
InfraorderPentatomomorpha (an infraorder of bugs)
SuborderHETEROPTERA (true bugs)
OrderHEMIPTERA (bugs)
Division Exopterygota (earwigs, grasshoppers, stoneflies, true bugs, and other insects with wings developing externally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug) :
1: Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
25 Apr 2019 OSGR: SY67 50° 30’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
row of eggs on gorse pod
Image 1: Egg batch - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Egg batch - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 3: Egg batch - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 4: Egg batch - lateral view - magnified - silver background
2: Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
10 Aug 2007 OSGR: SU56 51° 30’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Red-banded summer form, on Aspen
Image 1: Red-banded summer form - antero-dorsal view - close-up - enlargedImage 2: Red-banded summer form - dorsal view - close-up - enlargedImage 3: Red-banded summer form - dorsal view - close-up - enlarged (2)Image 4: Red-banded summer form - dorsal view - close-up - enlarged (3)Image 5: Red-banded summer form - dorsal view - close-up - enlarged (4)Image 6: Red-banded summer form - front three-quarter view - close-up - enlargedImage 7: Red-banded summer form - latero-dorsal view - close-up - enlargedImage 8: Red-banded summer form - latero-dorsal view - close-up - enlarged (2)Image 9: Red-banded summer form - latero-dorsal view - close-up - enlarged (3)Image 10: Red-banded summer form - rear three-quarter view - close-up - enlarged
3: Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
28 Mar 2005 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Female, green spring stage, on Gorse, in sunshine, with ?Tachinid egg attached to pronotum
Image 1: Female - green spring stage - dorsal view - enlargedImage 2: Female - green spring stage - pronotum with ?Tachinid egg - enlarged
4: Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
26 Mar 2005 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Green spring stage - on Gorse, in sunshine, numerous individuals, some in cop.
Image 1: Green spring stage - in cop - dorsal viewImage 2: Green spring stage - in cop - dorsal view (2)Image 3: Green spring stage - in cop - lateral viewImage 4: Green spring stage - dorsal view - in situ - close-up - enlargedImage 5: Male - green spring stage - body - dorsal - close-up - enlargedImage 6: Male - green spring stage - body - ventral - close-up - enlargedImage 7: Male - green spring stage - dorsal - enlargedImage 8: Male - green spring stage - head, antennae & thorax - dorsal view - close-up - enlargedImage 9: Male - green spring stage - ventral view - enlarged
5: Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
21 Jun 1998 OSGR: SU68 51° 30’ N, 0° 60’ W Vice County: Oxon (VC 23) England
Green spring stage - near Gorse
Image 1: Green spring stage - dorsal viewImage 2: Green spring stage - latero-ventral viewImage 3: Green spring stage - ventral view
6: Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
15 Feb 1998 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Brown over-wintering stage, beaten from Gorse
Image 1: Brown over-wintering stage - dorsal viewImage 2: Brown over-wintering stage - ventral view
7: Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
2 Oct 1971 OSGR: TG10 52° 40’ N, 1° 10’ E Vice County: East Norfolk (VC 27) England
Green spring stage - on Gorse
Image 1: Green spring stage - anterior viewImage 2: Green spring stage - lateral view

Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 14 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Piezodorus lituratus (Gorse Shieldbug)

Often found in good numbers on sunlit Gorse (Ulex europaeus) in the spring, but it can be quite patchy, being abundant on some bushes and absent from others. In dull weather it must be searched for among litter at the base of the Gorse.

When disturbed they fold up their legs and drop.

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