TARNISHED PLANT BUG — ITS LIFE HISTORY AND CONTROL 



G . L . Jensen 

 Extension Entomologist 



This small brownish flattened bug is perhaps the most diver- 

 sified plant feeder of all our economic pests, feeding on over 50 

 economic plants besides many weeds and grasses. Several vegetables, 

 cotton, alfalfa and flowering plants are attacked as well as most 

 deciduous and small fruits. 



Tarni s 

 ted th 

 United 

 buds 

 m i n a 1 

 feed , 

 va i nt 

 i u s s 

 and de 

 dwarfe 

 of bea 

 apples 

 also h 

 sides 

 from d 

 peach 

 smal 1 . 

 "cat-f 

 fully 

 tal e e 

 by pi a 



hed p 

 rough 



Stat 

 f fru 

 shoot 

 they 

 the 

 orts 

 vel op 

 d and 

 ns , s 



and 

 ave s 

 of th 

 own , 

 had b 

 Thi 

 a c i n g 

 devel 

 V i d e n 

 nt bu 



1 ant 

 out t 

 es . 

 it tr 

 s and 

 i n t r 



pi an 

 of in 

 i ng f 



pi tt 

 trawb 

 pears 

 unken 

 e fru 

 1 ooki 

 een p 

 s inj 

 ." A 

 oped 

 ce of 



gs. 



bugs 

 he wo 

 They 

 ees , 



f rui 

 duce 

 t whi 

 j u r i e 

 rui t 

 ed as 

 e r r i e 

 . Pe 



area 

 it wh 

 ng as 

 artly 

 ury i 



deep 

 apple 



earl 



are di 

 rl d an 

 attack 

 i n j u r i 

 t. As 

 a 1 X i 

 ch cau 

 s. Th 

 may be 



in th 

 s , pea 

 aches 

 s on t 

 i ch ar 



thoug 



gouge 

 s also 



di mpl 

 s i s t 

 ier fe 



s t r i b u - 

 d the 



the 

 ng ter- 



they 

 c s a 1 i - 

 ses var- 

 e buds 



e case 



ches , 



may 



he 



e free 



h the 



d when 



called 

 e on 

 ell- 

 e d i n g 



Fig. 1. The adult tarnished 

 plant bugj Lygus lineolaris . 



of a general brown color with 

 yellow, reddish brown, and bl 

 the posterior third is a clea 

 triangular, black dot. 



Tarnished plant bugs over- 

 winter as adults under leaf litter, 

 stones and other sheltered areas. 

 Adult tarnished plant bugs are 

 about 1/4 inch long, less than 

 half as broad, flattened and oval 

 in outline (Figure 1). They are 

 small irregular splotches of white, 

 ack. Along each side of the body at 

 r yellow triangle tipped with a small. 



Tarnished plant bugs become active early in the spring and 

 seek out the host plants. They are difficult to find because of 

 their shy habits and protective coloration; however, one can find 

 the bleeding buds which are evidence of their feeding. Bleeding 

 buds show a small drop of sap which exudes from the wound caused 

 by the plant bugs piercing mouthparts. The buds of apples and 

 pears are attacked as soon as the green tissues are fully exposed 

 and begin to separate in the cluster. 



