Spilostethus saxatilis
This red and black seed bug feeds on the poisonous meadow saffron plant and stores its toxic alkaloid, colchicine, in its own defensive secretion.
| Where | Warm dry meadows, fields and rocky ground |
|---|---|
| Size | 8.5 to 12.5 mm body length |
| When | April to October |
The pronotum is red with two broad black stripes, the wing covers mix red and black, and the membrane at the tip is solid black with no white spot. Legs, antennae, and the outer wing edge are black, while the sides of the abdomen alternate red and black.
This bug feeds mainly on meadow saffron, a plant containing the toxic alkaloid colchicine, and stores the compound in its own defensive secretion instead of being harmed by it. Adults mate in May and June, a new generation appears by August, and the adults overwinter to fly again the following spring.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Red, Black
Active
Day
To people
Mild
Not known to bite or sting; its tissues carry a toxic plant compound so it should never be eaten.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar in size, roughly 9 to 15 mm, but with a white spot on the black membrane and a black scutellum, features absent in Spilostethus saxatilis.
Questions
Is Spilostethus saxatilis dangerous to people?
Mild. Not known to bite or sting; its tissues carry a toxic plant compound so it should never be eaten.
When can you see Spilostethus saxatilis?
Spilostethus saxatilis can be seen from April to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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True bugs›Seed bugs›Spilostethus
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.