www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

On the Surrey Butterfly walk on Denbies hillside yesterday we found a fresh female Brown Hairstreak in the Blackthorn.
On closer examination it was impaled through the abdomen by a spike from what we think is a Stink Bug, similar to a shield bug.

Has anyone else seen this before and can you identify the mystery bug?

It's a Spiked Shieldbug
http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteropte ... idens.html

Known to be predatory, mostly on slow moving prey like larvae. I suspect this female was nabbed whilst egg laying, she has a chunk out of one of her hindwings so she's certainly been around long enough to have been mated.

Thanks Bugboy, Spiked Shield bug is a new one on me, 4