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A red-and-black froghopper clinging to a grass stem. It's an oval-shaped bug thats mostly black with red patches on its back

Red-and-black froghopper © Amy Lewis

Red-and-black froghopper standing on a stem. It's a compact glossy black bug with red markings on its back. Also known as the black-and-red froghopper

Red-and-black froghopper © Chris Lawrence

Red-and-black froghopper

This distinctive bug is often seen basking on low-growing plants in spring and summer.

Scientific name

Cercopis vulnerata

When to see

April to August

Species information

Category

Statistics

Length: 9-11mm
Common

Habitats

About

The red-and-black froghopper is one of our largest homopterans - a group of bugs that also includes aphids, leafhoppers and treehoppers. They are found in a wide variety of wooded and open habitats, often on the stems or leaves of low-growing plants. The adults feed by sucking juices out of grasses and other plants. The young froghoppers, known as nymphs, are rarely seen as they feed on underground roots.

How to identify

An unmistakeable bug. Completely glossy black apart from the red markings across the back.

Distribution

Common and widespread in mainland England and Wales

Did you know?

Red-and-black froghoppers have wings and are strong fliers, but you're just as likely to see them moving around with powerful leaps. Their back legs can fully extend in under a millisecond, springing them into the air.