Melacoryphus lateralis
| Melacoryphus lateralis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Lygaeidae |
| Genus: | Melacoryphus |
| Species: | M. lateralis |
| Binomial name | |
| Melacoryphus lateralis Dallas, 1852 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Melacoryphus lateralis pronounced (mela-co-lorf-ith ladder-a-lith) a species of Hemiptera, or true bug one of several called black-and-red seed bug. Black and fringed with red and gray, some call it the charcoal seed bug, due to its resemblance to a dying ember. Native to the deserts of western North America, they have a tendency to appear in large numbers in the late summer. The Melacoryphus lateralis are close relatives of the small milkweed bug, another black-and-orange insect and are also very durable being able to survive being stomped on. Body sizes range from 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) up to 4.7 inches (12 cm).
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