HEMIPTERA > HETEROPTERA > CIMICOMORPHA > Miridae > Dicyphini

The Dicyphini tribe includes 15 small, generally slender bugs, most of which are featured on the 'British Bugs' website. At present, I've only managed to find the two featured here.

Campyloneura virgula is a small, 4-5mm body length, predatory bug that can be found during the summer months on a variety of trees, especially Hazel (Corylus avellana), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Oak (Quercus sp.). They have very long antennae and distinctive markings including a bright yellow scutellum, and forewings with similarly coloured cuneus that are tipped with dark red. Males are very rarely recorded.

I've been wanting to find an adult of this species for a while as I'd previously photographed one of the equally distinctive nymphs that I didn't want to feature on its own. They're tiny, but unmistakable as they have an entirely yellow body at this stage with bright red markings along the sides of the pronotum, red eyes and, when you look closely, red-banded antennae.

I shall keep an open mind as they're probably under-recorded, but out of the ten Dicyphus species, it appears that only three are likely to be encountered locally, namely Dicyphus epilobii, Dichyphus errans and Dichyphus stachydis. They are difficult to identify with certainty from photos, although location, host plant and general colouration should be helpful in at least suggesting the most likely candidate. The individual featured below is probably Dicyphus epilobii. The appearance and colour look right for that species, but it could be the pale form of Dicyphus errans, and the only reliably way of separating the two is by the colour of the mesopleura (pale in the former, dark in the latter), which unfortunately can't be seen in these photos. The other point, is that it looks a bit teneral and may darken up, so there's no way of being sure.

Although I can't confirm the species, it would have been useful if I'd taken more notice of the plant it was on, which is something that I need to get into the habit of doing for any insect I'm photographing rather than trying to remember once I get home. The primary host plant of this species is hairy willow-herb, whereas Dicyphus errans is more of a generalist that could be found on various herbaceous plants.

New tribe added, Feb.25 (v.1)