Cimex melanocephalus Linnaeus, 1767[1] Phylus palliceps Fieber, 1861 Phylus melanocephalus is a European species of plant bugs belonging to the family Miridae, subfamily Phylinae.

It is a slender bug 4.5–6 millimetres (0.18–0.24 in) long and feeds on oak trees.

[2] Its colour ranges from orange to greenish-brown and its head may be pale or dark.

[3] Paler specimens of P. melanocephalus were long referred to as separate species Phylus palliceps, distinguished in particular by having a pale head, P. melanocephalus being restricted to insects with a dark head.

[4][5] Pagola-Carte et al. (2005) found no morphological or habitat differences between specimens referred to the two supposed species, and a continuous gradation of colour, and concluded the two should be synonymised.