How Do You Identify Tarnished Plant Bugs?
The Lygus lineolaris, known as the tarnished plant bug, is one of the most serious pests of fruits and vegetables in New England. There are no real management options available to the growers. Farmers make apply between three and five batches of insecticides a year in an attempt to control these insects. Identify the adult tarnished plant bugs in the spring, by their small size and color. They’re only about 1/4 inch in length. Their bodies are light brown with spots of various colors such as white, yellow, and black giving this insect his tarnished appearance. Notice the distinctive clear yellow triangle, marked with a black dot on the lower third of each side and their relatively long antennae and legs. Note that during the off season months, before spring, you can find these insects in dead weeds, leaf litter, under tree bark, rock piles in fields, timber margins, stream and ditch banks. Spot tarnished plant bugs as they feed on newly developed buds and shoots, strawberries, vegetabl