The Long-necked Seed Bug is approximately 3/8 inch long (10 mm). The head is black with the basal portion elongated into a “neck.” The wings are brown with yellow etched lines. The femora are inflated and have ventral spines. The legs are slender and yellowish with black knee joints. The antennae have 4 segments. The basal and terminal segments are black and the mid-segments are orange.
The frequency of occurrence of the Long-necked Seed Bug is not known. The individual shown here was photographed in mid-July at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center. In summer it may be seen at lights around buildlings.
This seed bug eats the seeds of strawberry and St. Johnswort. It overwinters as an adult in leaf litter or under tree bark in woodlands. In summer it can be found on stems of plants and in debris in open areas or forest margins. This is the only species north of Mexico and outside of Florida (where M. annulicornis is endemic).
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