ABSTRACT
True bugs are minute to large insects, characterised by their needle-like mouthparts, adapted to pierce plant tissue and suck sap or, as in the case of predacious species, modified to stab their prey and imbibe the body contents, perhaps aided by the pre-injection of liquefying digestive enzymes. Shield bugs are mainly medium-sized, stout, somewhat flattened, beetle-like insects, with a distinctly shield-shaped body outline, a distinct scutellum, and wings that cover most if not all of the abdomen. The shield bug Arma custos occurs widely in mainland Europe, where it is a useful predator of a range of phytophagous insects. Pentatoma rufipes is a generally common and widely distributed European shield bug. Picromerus bidens is widely distributed in Europe, where it preys upon a wide range of soft-bodied insects, usually on trees and shrubs, and other vegetation, within a couple of metres of the ground. Various species of Nabis classify as beneficial insects for the role they play as predators in cropping situations.
