Tarnished Plant Bug - Lygus lineolaris                Ronald Smith, Auburn University, www.ipmimages.org                  Scott Bauer, USDA ARS, www.ipmimages.org HOSTS: Potatoes, celery, lettuce, beans, peas, tree fruits. DESCRIPTION: Adults are oval, brown, 1/4 inch long bugs with a white triangle on their back; nymphs are smaller, yellow-green and have black spots on their backs. LIFE CYCLE: Eggs are laid in the late summer/fall on plant stems and overwinter there. Nymphs hatch in the spring, feed on leaves till maturity, and then disperse. CONTROLS: Cultural: Till after harvest. Mechanical: White sticky traps may be used to control low infestations. Botanical: Rotenone plus pyrethrin, sprayed in the evening with a soap spreader-sticker (1 oz/gal water), will control higher infestations.
Missoula County Extension Office; Missoula, Montana 59808 - Updated for 2006