Grypocoris (= Calocoris) stysi

Identification & Distribution

Adults of Grypocoris stysi have a distinctive chequered pattern of light yellow-white areas and a more-or-less bright orange-yellow cuneus (see two pictures). The femora are blackish and the tibiae brown. Adult body length is 6-8 mm.

Grypocoris stysi is found on nettles in woodland and especially on umbellifers. The bugs feed both on flower heads and on small invertebrates such as aphids, for example see the second image above. It is distributed throughout Europe.

Biology & Ecology

Grypocoris stysi reaches adulthood in June and July, with few surviving beyond August. The adults shown above were photographed on the umbellifer hogweed (Heracleum sphondyli) in July. The hogweed was heavily infested with the aphid Cavariella pastinacea (see image below).

Grypocoris stysi was observed to be feeding on these aphids.

Acknowledgements We especially thank Sussex Wildlife Trust for their kind assistance, and permission to sample. For the mirid bugs we have used Southwood & Leston (1959) and British Bugs to aid in identification and for the key characteristics. For aphids we have made provisional identifications from high resolution photos of living specimens, along with host plant identity. In the great majority of cases, identifications have been confirmed by microscopic examination of preserved specimens. We have used the keys and species accounts of Blackman & Eastop (1994) and Blackman & Eastop (2006) supplemented with Blackman (1974), Stroyan (1977), Stroyan (1984), Blackman & Eastop (1984), Heie (1980-1995), Dixon & Thieme (2007) and Blackman (2010). We fully acknowledge these authors as the source for the (summarized) taxonomic information we have presented. Any errors in identification or information are ours alone, and we would be very grateful for any corrections. For assistance on the terms used for aphid morphology we suggest the figure provided by Blackman & Eastop (2006).

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