Eggs on Blackthorn

Inspecting one of my Prunus spinosa - Sloe or Blackthorn, I found lots of clusters of these red eggs on hte undersides of the branches. They are almost double life size here.
I've never seen any like them before. A friend suggested spider eggs but all the spiders eggs I've ever seen have been in a little web cocoon.

Have you looked at them with a hand lens? Sure these eggs don't have legs that'll unfurl at night?

Wow. That's strange. Something about that color made me think of mites, so:

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/grapeipm/european_red_mite.htm

Tell me if the size looks right. Mite eggs would be tiny, and your eggs just look small.

I'll try to get a macro shot with something for scale, but it'll probably be friday before I can. I'm certain they are eggs, not aphids etc. I'd say tiny but not microscopic. Something like half a pinhead sized. Here's the same shot cropped.

Not sure about this, but my guess: Pachycoris stallii

Regards,
Hans

Hi Kev
Try this web site..If you post the picture on there I'm sure someone will identify.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/eggs-larvae-and-caterpillars/11025-insect-identification-eggs.html

I thought Moth eggs but shield bug may be a better bet.

Hi kevin,
I have checked all my blackthorn today. no eggs.

Bob,
What a good site, thanks for the link.

Bob Brunt wrote:Hi Kev
but shield bug may be a better bet.

I was going to suggest eggs of one of the Hemiptera perhaps those one of the assassin bugs -- a good bug. Theres a pic of one of them in the stickies at the top.

Hi Jim
My knowledge of insects are just memories from 40 years ago when I collected as a kid..My journey into the world of Bonsai has re kindled my interest in Insects.Especially Lepidoptera As you probably know we do not have anything as exotic as the insects you see in America. With the exception of a few Ichneumon wasps and a few of the larger beetles.It is still a fascinating subject.

As you probably know we do not have anything as exotic as the insects you see in America.

You're lucky.

With the exception of a few Ichneumon wasps and a few of the larger beetles.It is still a fascinating subject.

Yeah, Charles Darwin collected beetles, did he not? I seem to recall reading something he did on the subject.

But I'm sure that, since you have several of the "true bugs," you also have one of the related assassin bugs which prey on them.

Hi Kev
Did the eggs hatch ? Did you manage to identify them?

No Bob, they've darkened in colour but haven't hatched. No ID as yet either.

Identification from photos is dicey at best. Try taking a sample in a sealed plastic bag to the entymology department of a nearby university or agricultural agent.