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Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Tarnished Plant Bug

Leaf wilting caused by TPB Tarnished Plant Bug Nymph TPB damage to leaflets Tarnished Plant Bug Adult Tarnished Plant Bug Nymph
Click to enlarge.

Beginner

Scientific Name
Lygus lineolaris

Identification
Adults: They are oval, with flat bodies, and about 6 mm long. Their colour is variable, from pale yellow with a few black markings to reddish-brown to black with a few pale yellow markings. They have a distinctive light-coloured triangular pattern on their backs. Tarnished plant bugs fly from plant to plant in short bursts.

Young nymphs:  They are yellowish-green and about 1 mm long. Nymphs resemble the adults except for their smaller size and the absence of fully developed wings.

Older nymphs: Older nymphs are green and robust with long legs, long antennae and developing wings. Nymphs can be distinguished from aphids by their rapid movement, more robust legs and lack of cornices.

Often Confused With
Aphids: TPB nymphs can be distinguished from aphids by their rapid movement, by their robust legs, and by their lack of cornices.

Period of Activity
Present throughout the growing season.

Scouting Notes
Monitor adults and nymphs at the same sites selected for CPB. Examine 5 plants/stems per site. Approach the selected sites slowly and count the number of adult TPB that you see in the site either flying or on the selected plants. Count the number of nymphs. Another way to determine the level of nymph infestation is to shake the selected plants holding a white styrofoam plate close to the ground. Nymphs will fall off the leaves onto the plate. Wilted leaflets at the growing point are usually a sign of TPB infestation.

Threshold
15 adults and/or 25 nymphs per 50 plants

Advanced

Scientific Name
Lygus lineolaris

Identification
Adults: They are oval, with flat bodies, and about 6 mm long. Their colour is variable, from pale yellow with a few black markings to reddish-brown to black with a few pale yellow markings. They have a distinctive light-coloured triangular pattern on their backs. Tarnished plant bugs fly from plant to plant in short bursts.

Young nymphs:  They are yellowish-green and about 1 mm long. Nymphs resemble the adults except for their smaller size and the absence of fully developed wings.

Older nymphs: Older nymphs are green and robust with long legs, long antennae and developing wings. Nymphs can be distinguished from aphids by their rapid movement, more robust legs and lack of cornices.

Often Confused With
Aphids: TPB nymphs can be distinguished from aphids by their rapid movement, by their robust legs, and by their lack of cornices.

Biology
Life Stages: eggs, nymphs, adults.

The tarnished plant bug is a common pest of many vegetable and fruit crops.

Adults overwinter in protected areas: in debris found in fencerows, in woods, in ditches or in fields of forage legumes.

They become active as the weather warms in the spring. Tarnished plant bugs feed on leaves, stems and petioles, removing plant sap with their piercing and sucking mouthparts. While feeding, this insect introduces a toxin that causes leaves to wilt and blossoms to drop prematurely. Since nymphs feed more than adults, nymphs are more destructive.

Period of Activity
Present throughout the growing season.

Scouting Notes
Monitor adults and nymphs at the same sites selected for CPB. Examine 5 plants/stems per site. Approach the selected sites slowly and count the number of adult TPB that you see in the site either flying or on the selected plants. Count the number of nymphs. Another way to determine the level of nymph infestation is to shake the selected plants holding a white styrofoam plate close to the ground. Nymphs will fall off the leaves onto the plate. Wilted leaflets at the growing point are usually a sign of TPB infestation.

Threshold
15 adults and/or 25 nymphs per 50 plants

Management Notes
Make sure fields and hedgerows are weed free, especially from host weed species such as chickweed, dandelion, lamb’s-quarters, ragweed and fleabane. Apply a foliar insecticide when populations reach economic thresholds.