About Melacoryphus lateralis (Dallas, 1852)
Melacoryphus lateralis, pronounced (mela-co-riff-is ladder-a-lis), is a species of Hemiptera, also called true bug. It is one of several insects known as black-and-red seed bugs. Its body is black, fringed with red and gray, and it is sometimes called the charcoal seed bug because it resembles a dying ember. This species is native to the deserts of western North America, and individuals tend to gather in large numbers during late summer. Melacoryphus lateralis is a close relative of the small milkweed bug, another black-and-orange insect. It is also very durable, able to survive being stomped on. Body length for this species ranges from 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) to 0.47 inches (12 mm).
