Hypericum rhopalid
It feeds mainly on St John's wort but will also take many other plants, and its scutellum ends in two whitish points that set it apart from lookalikes.
| Where | Grassland and scrub with St John's wort |
|---|---|
| Size | 7 to 7.5 mm body length |
| When | April to September |
The hypericum rhopalid is a hairy, reddish-brown bug with membranous forewings, alternating dark and light bands along the sides of the abdomen, and a whitish, two-pointed tip to its scutellum.
Adults and nymphs feed mainly on Hypericum species through the warmer months, though the bug will also take a range of other low-growing plants.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Brown, Red
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to handle; a plant-feeding bug with no bite or sting of concern.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Very similar in size and colour, but told apart by a single whitish tooth on the scutellum rather than the two-pointed tip of the hypericum rhopalid, and dark dots along the wing veins.
Questions
Is the Hypericum rhopalid dangerous to people?
Harmless to handle; a plant-feeding bug with no bite or sting of concern.
When can you see the Hypericum rhopalid?
The Hypericum rhopalid can be seen from April to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by janet graham, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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True bugs›Scentless plant bugs›Rhopalus
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.