Phylus melanocephalus
Length 4.5-6 mm. Phylus bugs are fairly long and slender. There are three species in the UK, which can be separated with some reliability by the colour of the head and forewings. Host plant is also a useful aid to identification. The forewings of this species vary from yellow to orange-red but the head is usually dark brown or black. Specimens with a pale head were previously thought to be a separate species (Phylus palliceps) but have now been included within Phylus melanocephalus.
This species can be identified with care but there are similar species that it could be confused with.
This species is usually found on Oak
Adult: June-August
Partly predatory
It is widespread throughout Britain
Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland.
David Nicholls
Watermead Country Park
25 June 2010
dark-headed form
sue
Thornton Meadows
21 June 2019
pale form (previously P palliceps)
AJ Cann
Knighton
07 June 2022
Barbara Cooper
Long Clawson
04 July 2013
on oak
AJ Cann
Benscliffe Meadows
09 June 2020
Graham Calow
Cotesbach Hall land
19 June 2023
on Oak
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015
UK Map
Species profile
- Species group:
- Bugs
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Hemiptera
- Family:
- Miridae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 23
- First record:
- 25/06/2010 (Nicholls, David)
- Last record:
- 21/07/2023 (Cann, Alan)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
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