Fact Sheet

General Information:

Lygus are a destructive insect. They feed on cotton, alfalfa, sugar beet, tomatoes, vegetable crops, bean, orchards and nursery stock. Many weeds, including Russian thistle, London rocket are good host for lygus and weeds should be removed from areas around crops. Lygus are one of the most damaging of the "true bugs" and are known to transmit plant diseases. They use their rostrum to extract plant juices. Their feeding causes terminal growth to be yellowed or distorted.

Description: dults are 1/4 inch long, vary in color from pale green, yellowish brown to reddish brown with black markings. They have a conspicuous triangle in the center of the back. Over wintering adults are much darker than summer adults. Nymphs resemble adults but are wingless, pale green and older nymphs have five black spot on their backs.

Life Cycle:

Adults females deposit their eggs in plant material. After 7 to 10 days nymphs emerge and begin feeding of plant material. They grow through 5 stage and become adults 3 to 4 weeks. Lygus over winter as adults in dead weeds, under tree bark and in leaf litter.