So this isn't my find, it's Derek Binns who got this smart looking beast. I was notified via Twitter of this and Tristan Bantock confirmed the ID, I've never heard of it! So, the following photos and words are all Derek's but as county record for Heteroptera, I thought I should promote this amazing find. What a smart looking beast, if you see one out there, please send in your records!
"Searching for invertebrates in the margins of the old quarry in Hastings Country Park has produced unexpected rewards. Whilst checking a reasonably large patch of spear thistle, two purple shieldbugs were found. One was the Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum, an attractive native species that can be found in good numbers on woodland margins everywhere. The second shieldbug warranted more than a second glance. It was a species that is reasonably common in France but does not occur in this country. There are no more than one or two records of it getting across the Channel to our shores, and this was the first record for Sussex.
Many photographs were taken so as to get sufficient detail to allow accurate identification as there is taxonomic debate about certain species in this difficult genus. A note was sent to the national recorder for heteroptera to ask for confirmation that this was Carpocoris purpureipennis, and after some discussion and reference to specific details on the pronotum and scutellum, the identification was confirmed, The county recorder was included in the discussion, and he confirmed it to be a first record for Sussex. If you start with a mental picture of the native Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum, this species seems at least half as big again and the pronotum shoulders project noticeably, also the scutellum is very obviously different from the Hairy as colouration of the top of the scutellum blends into the pronotum which has longitudinal stripes that continue onto the head. The wingtips extend to a buff point beyond the body. The striped connexivum around the sides of the rear half of this bug are a very bold cream and black stripe and is a lot more convex than the black and white striped connexivum of the native Hairy Shieldbug. In the field this area appears to be a striped circle that is broken by a “tail” formed from the wingtips.
As many species of shieldbug are at the northernmost edge of their range in this country, the prospect of global warming gives potential for some european species to cross the Channel. A site such as the quarry which provides sheltered warmth close to landfall after migration might be considered to have potential for a colony to establish. Further observations will be made as the summer progresses to see if this shieldbug is a lone record or not."
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Hi Graeme - what an amazing find by Derek - and so good to see it here ... fascinating to know that the species is now recorded here ... and we'll probably be seeing more. Cheers to you both - Hilary