Bug FAQCommon Flowerbug
Anthocoris nemorum · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Anthocoridae
Also called: Common Flower Bug, Minute pirate bug
Source: Wikipedia
The common flowerbug is a tiny predatory bug about 3 to 4 mm long with a soft, flat body and shiny wings marked by black spots. It lives on moist, shaded plants such as nettles, is found across Europe to China, and adults are present year-round. It feeds on small insects like aphids and spider mites, lays eggs inside leaves, and can bite people.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It has a soft, elongated flat body, a black pronotum, and transparent forewings with a central black dot and an hourglass-shaped spot near the tip.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 3 to 4 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
They are capable of biting humans.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
They can bite people if handled.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Since 1992 they have been used as a biological control agent, especially against the pear psylla Cacopsylla pyri.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers lower, moist, shaded vegetation, especially nettles later in the growing season.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It is a predator of small insects such as aphids and red spider mites. Females lay their eggs inside plant leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults can be found throughout the year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are present all year round.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs throughout Europe, the Palearctic region, and into China, and is common in Great Britain and Ireland.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
What do common flowerbugs eat?
They prey on small insects such as aphids and red spider mites.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find common flowerbugs?
They are most often found on moist, shaded plants like nettles and are common across Europe to China.
Source: Wikipedia
Are common flowerbugs used for pest control?
Yes, they have been employed since 1992 to control pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyri).
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Anthocoridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_flowerbug
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.