About Neides tipularius (Linnaeus, 1758)
Neides tipularius is a species of stilt bug native to the Palearctic realm. Its range extends from the Northern Mediterranean north to Scandinavia and the British Isles. Eastward, it can be found from Asia Minor and the Caucasus through to Central Asia. It is widespread and not uncommon across Germany and the Alps. In Britain, it is locally common across most of the southern region, while it is rare in Ireland. Adult Neides tipularius measure between 9.5 and 11.5 millimeters in length. Their coloration is a drab grey-brown or straw, and they are easily identifiable by their slender, elongated bodies and very long legs. Similar species in the genus Berytinus are smaller in size and have a much shorter second antennal segment. The hemelytra of Neides tipularius are always fully developed, and nymphs are green in color. This bug feeds on a wide range of herbaceous plants, including members of genera such as Cerastium, Arenaria, Silene, Erodium, along with other species in the plant families Caryophyllaceae and Geraniaceae. Adult imagines also feed on grasses from the family Poaceae, specifically including Corynephorus and Agrostis. Neides tipularius is associated with habitats containing dry, sandy soils and coastal dunes.
