After a day of persistent rain, I did go out for a walk yesterday evening quite late but with still a last few rays of sun before it went down. I spotted several of these creatures sunning themselves on Sycamore keys and leaves. They are immature Shieldbugs – possibly in the final instar before developing wings as adults. I tried to find out what sort. They may be Forest Shieldbugs (Pentastoma rufipes) which are really a continental species that has colonised further north into Britain because of increasingly warm weather. On the other hand there are similarities to the young stages of the Hairy or Sloe Shieldbug (Dolycoria baccarum).
Jessica's Nature Blog 
I enjoy seeing shieldbugs. They must exist when it isn’t sunny but somehow it’s only in sunshine that I notice them so not only are they interesting in their own right, I associate them with cheerful weather.
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Great picture. It seems every day I discover a new bug in my yard. I am sure they simply come by from another region of the country. Some are very destructive and quit unwelcome.
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Thank you, Lucy. The ones I saw were definitely sunbathing after a lot of rain! The only other kind I have seen near to home several years back was an adult Hawthorn Shieldbug – https://natureinfocus.blog/2011/10/22/hawthorn-shieldbug/
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Thank you, Peggy. Some incoming insects can be great pests can’t they? I guess how serious a nuisance depends on how successfully they colonise a new area and how they compete with local species. The big problem where I live seems to be a lack of insects. There are dramatically fewer, both in numbers and species, compared with a decade ago.
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That is unusual to find a decline in insects. We certainly do not have that problem here in Arkansas in the U.S.
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I think here the decline is the cumulative result of many factors including the use of pesticides in agriculture and gardening, over-management of residential areas, and increasing extremes of weather.
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