Small World Discoveries

HEMIPTERA > HETEROPTERA > CIMICOMORPHA > Miridae > Deraeocorini

Miridae is a large family of typically delicate-looking, mostly plant-feeding bugs with around 220 species that are separated into 10 tribes representing over 90 genera. Interestingly, the 'British Bugs' website only features around 170 of these species, which leads me to assume that the remaining 50 or so are either extinct, exceptionally rare or suspect! For convenience, I've separated the species I've seen and photographed into their respective tribes, where the number of species in each tribe relates to those that have a 'British Bugs' species account.

The Deraeocorini tribe includes six species generally described as being in the 4-10mm size range with an oval appearance. The head is small compared with the pronotum and the eyes are prominent . The pronotum has a rounded collar, and is shiny and punctured as is the rest of the body.

Deraeocoris ruber is an attractive species that can vary in colour from red-orange to almost black, although the cuneus (the wedge-shaped section at the apex of the thickened part of the forewings) is always red-orange to some extent, which gives rise to the occasionally used common name of Red-spotted Plant Bug. Typical habitat is grassland, parkland and gardens. The species is predatory on small insects.

Deraeocoris lutescens is a small, 4mm, generally orange-brown species with dark markings and translucent forewings. There are usually two dark bars on the otherwise pale scutellum. The NBN Atlas shows scattered records across the Midlands, East Anglia and the South East, but very few across the South and none in the South West. However, the 'British Bugs' site says it's very common occurring right across southern Britain. It can be found on a variety of plants, but favours deciduous trees, particularly Oak.

Deraeocoris flavilinea is a vagrant species that has rapidly colonised the central and southern parts of the country since its arrival in 1996. It's a sexually dimorphic and variable bug with darker males and more orange females. Distinguishing features include narrow pale front and rear margins of the pronotum, and similar pale edges of the scutellum. The colour of the cuneus is typically red-orange much the same as Deraeocoris ruber, but is variable. The brick-red tibial banding is shared by the larger and far less common Deraeocoris olivaceus, however that species can be distinguished by having long hairs on the side of the pronotum. it is also primarily associated with Hawthorn, whereas Deraeocoris flavilinea is more likely to be found on shrubs and trees, particularly Sycamore and Field Maple. Obviously, the features noted above are not evident in the nymph but, given that I found it in our garden, I hope to feature a photo of an adult before too long.