Subject: Red bugs!
Location: Michigan
June 6, 2016 5:51 pm
Hi Bugman. Found these in my garden. June 6.. They are devouring my butterfly bush and asters. What are they?
Signature: MiGardener
Dear MiGardener,
You have both winged adults, and flightless, red nymphs of the Four Lined Plant Bug, Poecilocapsus lineatus. According to BugGuide: “nymphs and adults feed preferentially on members of the mint family (wild mint, catnip, peppermint, spearmint, hyssop, oregano) but will attack a variety of wild plants (thistle, dandelion, burdock, tansy, loosestrife, sumac) as well as cultivated flowers (carnation, geranium, chrysanthemum, snapdragon, phlox) and crops (alfalfa, ginger, currant, raspberry, cucumber, lettuce, pea, potato, radish, squash).”
