Tarnished Plant Bug
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Tarnished Plant Bug  Tarnished plant bug adults are small, oval, light green to brown, mottled pests. Each forewing has a black-tipped yellow triangle. Adults overwinter under bark or leaf litter, emerging in early spring to lay eggs in leaf tissue. The eggs hatch in 10 days. The nymphs are yellow-green and wingless. They look similar to the adult tarnished plant bugs. Nymphs feed for 3 to 4 weeks then molt into adults. Besides tarnished plant bugs, several other plant bug species (Family Miridae) also damage garden plants Susceptible Plants- Most flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Symptoms - Adults emerge in the spring and attack swollen overwintering buds on trees and shrubs. This causes leaf deformities and debudding, which ultimately can lead to bushiness. Shoots may be distorted or stunted if the attack occurs after shoot elongation. Later in the growing season, all life stages will be present and feeding. On flowers, nymphs and adults puncture the terminal shoots beneath the bud and inject a poison which usually causes the flower to wilt and die. On leaf buds, feeding causes spotting and a general bronzing effect on the leaves. A condition called catfacing can occur on tree fruits and vegetables when the tarnished plant bug feeds on the developing fruit. Damage when the fruit is small can cause the fruit to be deformed and misshapen when it reaches maturity, thus catfaced. The fruit may also be aborted and drop to the ground if it is too heavily damaged. The feeding damage on strawberries is called "buttoning". Minor tarnished plant bug injury is tolerable, although unsightly. Controls are necessary for severe infestations. Prevention and Control- Cover plants with row cover or mesh. Attract native predators, such as bigeyed bugs, damsel bugs, and Pirate Bugs: Orius insidiosis Biological Control- Releases of Green Lacewing Eggs, Ladybug Beetles: Hippodamia convergens Insecticidal Control- Bioneem Insecticide
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