Melanocoryphus albomaculatus
This ground bug's black wingtip carries a single round white spot, a marking distinctive enough that the species is named for it.
| Where | Hot, dry, stony ground |
|---|---|
| Size | 7 to 9 mm body length |
| When | February to October |
Melanocoryphus albomaculatus is a ground bug 7 to 9 mm long, with a black head, antennae and legs and a red pronotum marked with two hook-shaped black spots. The forewings are red with a black spot in the centre, and the membranous wingtip is black with a single round white spot.
It feeds mainly on the seeds of swallow-wort, with foxglove and ragwort also used as forage plants, and favours hot, dry, stony ground, sometimes on sandy soils. The species is common around the Mediterranean and extends east through Asia Minor to the Caspian region, active from February to October.
Traits
Habitat
Heath
Colour
Black, Red
Active
Day
To people
It does not bite or sting and is harmless to handle.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Smaller-bodied, typically 4 to 5.3 mm long, and lacking the single bold white spot on the wingtip membrane that marks Melanocoryphus albomaculatus.
Questions
Is Melanocoryphus albomaculatus dangerous to people?
It does not bite or sting and is harmless to handle.
When can you see Melanocoryphus albomaculatus?
Melanocoryphus albomaculatus can be seen from February to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Didier Descouens, 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›Melanocoryphus
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.