Deraeocoris brevis

D. brevis is a hemimetabolous insect, undergoing incomplete metamorphosis. Adults are 3 to 6 mm (0.12 to 0.24 in) long and a glossy black colour. The nymphs are a mottled pale grey, with dark patches on the body giving them a spotted appearance. The dorsal surface is felted with grey hairs, and a cottony secretion covers the body; the eyes are red. The eggs are long and slender, but are largely concealed in the plant tissues into which they are inserted.

Adult D. brevis overwinter hiding in cracks and crevices. In the spring, the adult female lays its eggs on suitable host trees near the developing buds while in the summer it inserts the eggs into plant tissues such as the midribs of leaves. The eggs hatch in two to three weeks and then pass through five nymphal instars. At 70 °F (21 °C), nymphal development takes about 25 days in the laboratory, and during this period, up to 400 eggs and nymphs of the pear psyllid (Psylla pyri) are consumed.

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