Elasmostethus interstinctus - Acanthosoma lookalike
Viewing angle and variance in this specimen make it a close lookalike for Acanthosoma haemerroidale:
1st antennal segments seem relatively long (head bent down)
Shoulders quite produced
Base of pronotum/scutellum seems quite arched
Punctuation on scutellum is relatively wide spread for Elasmostethus
Dark abdomen and coloured wing membranes make it clear we're looking at Elasmostethus interstinctus
This image was uploaded to illustrate pitfalls when ID-ing photos. Look here for some characters:
The birch shieldbug is species of shield bug in the Acanthosomatidae family. It is widely distributed across Europe. The species overwinters in an adult stage, after which they emerge in the spring and start to mate. Their larvae feed usually on birch, but could also be found on aspen and hazel.
