Xylocoris galactinus

(Fieber, 1836)

Hot-bed bug

Xylocoris galactinus is a predatory minute pirate bug in the Anthocoridae. It has been recorded across Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), North America, and Oceania. The is commonly known as the hot-, likely reflecting its association with warm, protected environments such as compost heaps or mushroom beds. As an anthocorid, it is presumed to be predatory, though specific ecological studies on this species are limited.

Xylocoris galactinus by S.E. Thorpe. Used under a Public domain license.

Xylocoris galactinus (Anthocoridae), Renkum, the Netherlands by

This image is created by user Dick Belgers at Waarneming.nl, a source of nature observations in the Netherlands.
. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

HEMI Anthocoridae Xylocoris galactinus f by Desmond W. Helmore
. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Xylocoris galactinus: //zaɪloʊˈkɔːrɪs ɡəˈlæktɪnəs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Distribution

Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China); North America; Oceania. Specific country records include Belgium.

More Details

Family Placement

Sources differ in placement: Wikipedia lists Anthocoridae, while iNaturalist lists Lyctocoridae. Lyctocoridae is sometimes treated as a (Lyctocorinae) within Anthocoridae; the is here treated in the broader Anthocoridae following GBIF and NCBI.

Common Name Origin

The 'hot-' likely derives from historical association with hot-beds—manure-heated garden beds used for early crop production—though the precise etymology has not been formally documented.