four-lined plant bug
(Poecilocapsus lineatus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | NR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Four-lined plant bug is a small, soft-bodied, colorful, true bug. It is considered a pest due to the damage it causes to ornamental plants in the mint (Lamiaceae) and aster (Asteraceae) families. The body is elongated, soft, ¼″ to 5 ⁄16″ long, ⅛″ wide, and mostly bright yellow, light green, or yellowish-green. There are four jet black longitudinal lines on the thoracic shield (pronotum) and the leathery wing covers (hemelytra), and a small black dot near the end (apex) of each hemelytron. The head is orange. The compound eyes are prominent and dark reddish-brown. There are no simple eyes (occeli). The antennae are long and conspicuous, much longer than the head. The female is very similar in appearance but slightly larger and broader. The nymphs pass through five stages (instars). The first four instars are bright red. They have jet black wing pads, each with one white stripe, the pads and stripe elongating with each consecutive instar. The fifth instar is bright orange. |
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Size |
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Total length: ¼″ to 5 ⁄16″ |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Meadows, gardens, agricultural fields, and around homes |
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Biology |
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Season |
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One generation per year: May to July |
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Behavior |
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Leaf damage appears as small, 1 ⁄16″ or less in diameter, light or dark spots on the leaf surface. The color of the spot varies with the species of the host plant. The spots are collapsed leaf tissue which eventually falls out leaving small holes. Larvae cause more leaf damage than adults. |
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Life Cycle |
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The female deposits masses of eggs in soft tissues of stems of host plants. The eggs overwinter in the stem |
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Nymph Food |
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Leaves of plants, especially those in the mint (Lamiaceae) and aster (Asteraceae) families. |
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Adult Food |
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Leaves of plants, especially those in the mint (Lamiaceae) and aster (Asteraceae) families. |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 6/24/2022 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Common |
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Taxonomy |
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Order |
Hemiptera (true bugs, hoppers, aphids, and allies) | ||
Suborder |
Heteroptera (true bugs) | ||
Infraorder |
Cimicomorpha (cimicomorph bugs) | ||
Superfamily |
Miroidea | ||
Family |
Miridae (plant bugs) | ||
Subfamily |
Mirinae | ||
Tribe |
Mirini | ||
| Genus | Poecilocapsus | ||
Synonyms |
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Lygaeus lineatus |
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Common Names |
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fourlined plant bug four-lined plant bug |
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Glossary
Hemelytron
The forewing of true bugs (Order Hemiptera), thickened at the base and membranous at the tip. Plural: hemelytra.
Instar
The developmental stage of arthropods between each molt; in insects, the developmental stage of the larvae or nymph.
Ocellus
Simple eye; an eye with a single lens. Plural: ocelli.
Pronotum
The exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.
Visitor Photos |
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Alfredo Colon |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| Four-lined Plant Bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus) Andree Reno Sanborn |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this insect. |
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Other Videos |
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| Four-Lined Plant Bug seahue |
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About
Published on Jun 9, 2010 Last year I didn't see any four lined plant bugs...this year I see many! They love to snack on Forsythia leaves. Beautiful little ones. You can see the 'straw' they use to suck the juices out of the leaves. Yum Yum Yum! Music from CCmixter by Fireproof Babies 'Recliner' http://ccmixter.org/files/Fireproof_Babies/26949 |
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| Fourlined plant bug and nymphs Bug of the Week |
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About
Published on May 18, 2016 Tiny red nymphs soon grow into adults like this gravid female fourlined plant bug. |
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| Four-lined Plant Bug (Miridae: Poecilocapsus) on Leaf Carl Barrentine |
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About
Published on Jun 8, 2010 Photographed at Grand Forks, North Dakota (08 June 2010). |
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| Four-lined Plant Bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus) - Observation Nature's Wild Things |
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About
Published on May 14, 2017 Four-lined Plant Bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus) Observation Video 30 sec long 100% speed - Audio none Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States Photo Walk - 05-13-2017 |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this insect. |
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| Alfredo Colon 6/4/2021 |
Location: Woodbury, MN |
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| Alfredo Colon June 2018 |
Location: Woodbury, Minnesota |
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| Alfredo Colon 6/5/2018 |
Location: Woodbury, Minnesota |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 6/10/2018
Last Updated: