Insect · GBIF taxon 5152838
North American Tarnished Plant Bug
Lygus lineolarisAlso known as Tarnished Plant Bug, TPB
Tarnished plant bugs use needle-like mouthparts to pierce tender plant tissue, injecting digestive enzymes that cause flower abortion and deformed fruit development. Adults display mottled brown, red, and yellow patterning accented by a distinct pale yellowish V-shaped mark on their back. Females overwinter under leaf litter or weed debris before emerging early in spring to deposit eggs into stems and leaf veins.
Agricultural PestHerbivoreWidespread
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Plant sap
- Flower buds
- Developing fruit
Predators
- Spiders
- Lady beetles
- Minute pirate bugs
ThreatsPesticides and targeted agricultural management
HabitatsAgricultural fields, orchards, gardens, weed patches, meadows
Life span1 to 2 months
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderHemiptera
- FamilyMiridae
- GenusLygus
- SpeciesLygus lineolaris
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Spotting: Search terminal shoots, flower buds, and leaf undersides during warm, sunny mornings.
- Identification: Look for the clear yellow or pale green V-shaped patch on the triangular scutellum.
- Garden care: Maintain clean borders and control broadleaf weeds to minimize overwintering sites.
Image unavailableEurasian Counterpart 
Co-occurring Pest (c) skitterbug, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by skitterbug · cc-by
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Scott Loarie · cc0
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