Tortoise Bug Eurygaster testudinaria (Geoffroy, 1785)  
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This is another species which had been rapidly expanding its northerly UK range for a number of years and by 2021 had become increasingly common across Nottinghamshire and widespread in areas of long grass. It reached Leicestershire in 2016, when recorded from Ketton Quarry (Nightingale, K.) and finally reached Nottinghamshire in May 2019, when Darren Matthews found and photographed one at Gedling CP. A second record followed from Gedling CP in mid-June 2019 (Tyler, M.), but it was a surprise find at Sherwood Forest CP in May 2020, before turning up near Rainworth Heath in September 2020.

It is now very common in areas of long grass and comes in a range of colours. Thanks go to Darren Matthews, for allowing us to use his photographs (bottom two).
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Nottinghamshire (VC56) distribution of Tortoise Bug 
 
 
 
 
The records for the Nottinghamshire distribution map are currently provided by the following contributors -  Darren Matthews. Peter Smith. Mark Tyler. Trevor and Dilys Pendleton. Jim Flanagan. David Shaw. Sorby Natural History Society. Nick and Samantha Brownley.

You can contribute your own records to help us gain an accurate status of this species in Nottinghamshire. Send an Excel spreadsheet of your records via the 'contact us' link at the top of the homepage.

Updated January 2024

copyright © Trevor and Dilys Pendleton (www.eakringbirds.com) . .
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