What is this insect please.

Hello, can someone tell me what this insect is and if it is harmful to my flowers. This year I have noticed a lot of them.

 

It's a green shield bug I believe they do eat plants mainly new shoots on shrubs.

 

I think its a shield bug.

 

It is a shield bug and they are my fav :-)

 

I have lots of them
In my garden don't really notice any damage to plants they fly also.

 

Shield bugs are sap suckers. Generally they don't do much damage. When threatened or attacked they secrete a foul smelling liquid that can linger on the fingers for a long while. I suspect they taste bad as well.
There are quite a number of them http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/gallery/heteroptera/Pentatomoidea/pentatomoidea.html
A bit more information here http://www.royensoc.co.uk/insect_info/what/shield_bugs.htm I hadn't thought anybody would eat them though.

 

Thank you all so much for replying. I'm so relieved, I thought I had an infestation of some kind.
Nigel J thanks for all the info, I'm glad I don't live in Mexico though as they eat them.