A rare insect has been spotted in Scotland for the first time in more than 30 years. The Cow Wheat Shieldbug was found in woodland in Strathspey in the Cairngorms. This was only the eighth time the bug has been recorded in Scotland. The Cow Wheat Shieldbug was only recorded four other times. One was from Perthshire in 1879, one from Argyll and Bute in 1890, and one from Loch Rannoch in 1989.
Cow Wheat shieldbugs have a black body with two white spots that you can’t miss. They are considered to be nationally scarce across the UK. The insects feed on cow wheat, a plant common in Scotland.