Birch catkin bug
This rust coloured bug feeds mainly on birch catkins and seeds, yet it can turn up in vast numbers on outside walls and inside sheds come autumn.
| Where | Birch woodland, hedgerows and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 4.5 to 5.5 mm body length |
| When | February to November |
The Birch catkin bug has a rust coloured body with largely transparent, patterned forewings and three rows of small punctures running down the clavus.
It feeds mostly on birch catkins and seeds through the growing season, and adults often gather in numbers on tree trunks, walls and sheds as autumn cools.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Brown
Active
Day
To people
Does not bite people; adults simply gather in numbers on sunny walls before winter.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Smaller and darker at about 3.5 to 3.8 mm, and develops on alder rather than birch, the main foodplant of the Birch catkin bug.
Questions
Is the Birch catkin bug dangerous to people?
Does not bite people; adults simply gather in numbers on sunny walls before winter.
When can you see the Birch catkin bug?
The Birch catkin bug can be seen from February to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Adrian Tync, CC BY‑SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
The plate on this page is shared under the same licence as its source, CC BY-SA.
Report a mistake in this entry
True bugs›Seed bugs›Kleidocerys
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.