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Tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris) is a sap-feeding insect that can cause considerable damage by puncturing young fruits before berries expand. Damaged areas do not develop with the rest of the berry, resulting in misshapen “catfaced” fruit. Most damage takes place just after petal fall. Adult tarnished plant bugs have greenish-brown bodies marked with yellowish and black dashes and a small yellow-tipped triangle behind their head. Nymphs are smaller than adults, slender, and pale green with immature wings called wing buds. 

Adult tarnished plant bug.

(Photo: Ric Bessin, University of Kentucky)

Catfaced berries caused by plant bugs.

(Photo: John Strang, University of Kentucky)

Management:

• Minimize habitats; manage weeds and eliminate leaf litter around plantings.
•  Tap fruit clusters over a white bowl to identify nymphs
• Apply insecticides if more than one nymph per fruit cluster is identified.

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