Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

What’s this bug?

AllThingsEdibleAllThingsEdible Posts: 9
in Problem solving
Can anyone identify this bug? It seems to be zapping the life out of a number of my herbs and when I spray the plants I get ambushed and nipped. I assumed it was aphids but it doesn’t look like the pics I’ve found online.
Thanks all! :)

Posts

  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    Difficult to see @lianne.ferrante but it might be a capsid bug? Someone more knowledgeable might be able to make a better ID.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • AllThingsEdibleAllThingsEdible Posts: 9
    Thank you @herbaceous, I’ll look into those :)
    I know, it’s so hard to get a clear pic of something so small!
    Thanks again
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    Is it a leafhopper?
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • AllThingsEdibleAllThingsEdible Posts: 9
    It might just be! I’m going to dig out my camera & macro lens so I can get a clearer shot to look at. Thank you @robairdmacraignil
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    It'll probably be the sage leafhopper eupteryx melissae. They don't do much harm really. My sage is covered in them and apart from little pale spots in the leaves I don't really notice them. I've been meaning to try and get a better photo of them too but they're very tiny. The birds seem very interested in them so I leave pest control to them.



    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • AllThingsEdibleAllThingsEdible Posts: 9
    That’s them! Definitely, thank you! Hopefully as the herbs mature they’ll look less defeated by them. That’s great they don’t do much harm so I’ll just look to change the way I water my herbs so as not to come under attack when I spray them! Thanks again :)
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I don't think they attack people so you may have some other bugs mixed in with them. Maybe flower bugs anthocoris nemorum which have a nasty nip for such a tiny creature.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • AllThingsEdibleAllThingsEdible Posts: 9
    Ah.. yes I have assumed it’s them as they fly at me but I haven’t actually seen what is biting me. Something else to look into, thanks!
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Great pics, both.

Sign In or Register to comment.