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Gonocerus acuteangulatus Box Bug
Family: Coreidae

 A relatively large reddish-brown squashbug, distinguished from the commoner Coreus marginatus by the narrower abdomen and more pointed lateral extremities of the pronotum. Nymphs have a green abdomen.

Historically very rare and known only from Box Hill in Surrey, where it was found on Box trees, this bug has expanded its range dramatically during the last decade and now occurs as far north as Yorkshire and as far west as Devon. This range expansion has been aided by a shift onto numerous other foodplants, and it is now most frequently found on hawthorn and buckthorn.

Adult: All year
Length 11-14 mm

see illustrated life stages chart		 Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus
Adult: Surrey (April 2010) ©Tristan Bantock
Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus
Adult: Box Hill, Surrey (September 2007) ©Tristan Bantock

 		Adult: north London (November 2008) ©Tristan Bantock
Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus
Adult: Box Hill, Surrey (September 2007) ©Tristan Bantock

 		Adult: Essex (September 2009) ©Stuart Read
Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus nymph Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus nymph
Early instar nymph: south London (July 2009) ©Tristan Bantock

 Late instar nymph: west London (July 2009) ©Julian Oliver