Nymphs - _TNY_9161
Shield bugs, like this green shield bug (Palomena prasina) on the flower of a great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) don't go through complete metamorphosis the way fo instance a beetle does where it is a larvae and then pupate into a finished adult beetle.
Instead, they go through several instar stages where the baby (ie a "nymph") eats and grows a bit before shendding its exoskeleton and a more developed version emerges with room to grow som more.
This one is in it's fifth and second-to-last instar stage before emerging as an adult (ie "imago"). One way to discenr nymphs from adults is that only the adults have wings. The fifth stage have small rudimentary wings, but they can't use them for flight.
Nymphs - _TNY_9161
Shield bugs, like this green shield bug (Palomena prasina) on the flower of a great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) don't go through complete metamorphosis the way fo instance a beetle does where it is a larvae and then pupate into a finished adult beetle.
Instead, they go through several instar stages where the baby (ie a "nymph") eats and grows a bit before shendding its exoskeleton and a more developed version emerges with room to grow som more.
This one is in it's fifth and second-to-last instar stage before emerging as an adult (ie "imago"). One way to discenr nymphs from adults is that only the adults have wings. The fifth stage have small rudimentary wings, but they can't use them for flight.