Early Sunday morning I saw a group of bronze-headed shield bugs (Homaemus aeneifrons) sunning themselves on the seed heads of Canadian hawkweed (Hieracium umbellatum). The previous night had been very cool with temperatures dipping to 40 degrees F and this cluster of seed heads facing due east into the sun was a perfect place to warm up. In all, there were six bugs catching the early morning sun.
Homaemus aeneifron is widespread in North America occurring as far south as Kansas and Arizona and as far west as Alaska, British Columbia, and California. It is frequently found in moist meadows and weedy areas. Some reports state that it feeds on grasses and sedges (Carex) and rushes (Juncus) but one has it feeding on Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) and Oenothera biennis (evening primrose). These on hawkweed did not appear to be feeding. Beyond catching some rays it was hard to say why they were all there.
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum: Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class: Insecta (Insects)
Order: Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder: Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Infraorder: Pentatomomorpha
Superfamily: Pentatomoidea
Family: Scutelleridae (Shield-backed Bugs)
Subfamily: Pachycorinae
Genus: Homaemus
Species: aeneifrons (Homaemus aeneifrons)
SOURCES
Not Very Far Away 
I don’t know if we have these in the UK. I’m more familiar with assertively red and black shield bugs.
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I don’t think the genus is found outside of North America and Central America. There’s a red and black species here called boxelder bug after the tree it feeds on. Some years it can be numerous which gets a lot of people a bit crazy. I’ve only seen it a few times but i don’t have many boxelders. I should plant more! 😁
I’ve noticed many bright green shield bugs here in the last few years. They have often come to my porch lights. I’m probably going to do a series on those in the near future.
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I’ll look forward to it! It’ll be interesting to see which insects we share, with a large ocean between us.
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