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Polymerus unifasciatus
Family: Miridae

 Polymerus species are medium-sized bugs which are predominantly black or black and yellow in colour. The upper surface is covered in scale-like golden or silver hairs and the tibiae bear strong black spines.

In P. unifasciatus the pronotum is mostly black, with the rear margin narrowly yellow. The corium is largely yellow; this extends to both the lateral margins and the boundary with the clavus.

Locally common on bedstraws Galium in a variety of habitats across much of Britain. Note that populations from Yorkshire northwards belong to the variation lateralis, which has reduced yellow markings on the corium and feeds on heath bedstraw.

Adult: June-September
Length ~6 mm
 Polymerus unifasciatus
Adult: Surrey (September 2008) ©Tristan Bantock
Polymerus unifasciatus Polymerus unifasciatus
Adult: Norfolk (July 2008) ©Tristan Bantock

 		Adult: Surrey (June 2009) ©Tristan Bantock
Polymerus unifasciatus Polymerus unifasciatus nymph
Adult: Surrey (June 2009) ©Tristan Bantock
 Nymph: Surrey (June 2009) ©Tristan Bantock