tarnished plant bug

American

noun

a bug, Lygus lineolaris, of the family Miridae, that is a common and widely distributed pest of alfalfa and other legumes and of peach and other fruit trees.

Etymology

Origin of tarnished plant bug

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

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tarnished plant bug

For some insects like cutworms, it's the larvae that do the damage, in others, such as the tarnished plant bug, it's the nymphs and adults that severely damage vegetables, berries, fruit trees, and ornamental plants.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2021

Knows of a plantation not mulched at all, that suffered more than any other this year from the tarnished plant bug.

From Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 1, January 5, 1884. A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and Fireside by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023