Common Blue butterfly, Shield bug and 14-spot Ladybird

I haven't ventured further than the garden today, but I have enjoyed seeing the variety of insects that are suddenly beginning to emerge after the long lean months of winter.

I love blue butterflies: this Common Blue reminds me of Robert Frost's 'Blue-Butterfly Day' poem. 

I wonder if it has been a particularly good year for Shield bugs (or Stink bugs) in your locality. I seem to have seen more than usual in the garden, including the two in the photos below . 

The large triangle on the back is called a scutellam

And finally, just when I was heading back indoors, I noticed a small yellow insect on a nettle - my first 14-spot Ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata) of 2018. I'm sorry it isn't a better photo, but I had no wish to get stung!

The 14-spot feeds on aphids and is a welcome addition to the fauna in our garden. Here in the UK our only other yellow Ladybird has 22 spots, and they are much more like spots than these rectangular blotches.