Four-Lined Plant Bug

Four-Lined Plant Bug

Poecilocapsus lineatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Montreal

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

55 Verified sightings at Montreal
23 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Four-Lined Plant Bug

Poecilocapsus lineatus, commonly known as the fourlined plant bug, is a species of true bug (Hemiptera) in the family Miridae. This species is native to the United States and Canada. The adults are about 7–7.5 millimetres (0.28–0.30 in) in length and 3.5 millimetres (0.14 in) in width. Adults have four distinct black lines against a background color ranging from green to yellow, with an orange head and prominent, dark red eyes. Nymphs grow rapidly through five instars, with wing pads growing at each molt. Nymphs are a bright red color with black markings, except for the last instar which is bright orange.

This species has a wide host range, but shows strong preference for plants in the mint and composite families (Lamiaceae and Asteraceae). Various herbaceous perennials and shrubs in these families are favored for reproduction and account for the majority of damage observed in the landscape and garden, although vegetables are also sometimes damaged. Both nymphs and adults feed on leaves creating the water-soaked patches of leaf tissues that may later dry up or fall out to produce tiny holes.

This species has only one generation per... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
8 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Four-Lined Plant Bug in Montreal?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Lined Plant Bug sighting in Montreal on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 181st most-seen of the 926 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Four-Lined Plant Bug in Montreal?

June and July

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Lined Plant Bug in Montreal on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Four-Lined Plant Bug?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Four-Lined Plant Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Montreal the best place to see a Four-Lined Plant Bug?

11th of 12

Of the 12 cities where we can rate Four-Lined Plant Bug sightings, Montreal ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%), Detroit (United States, about 10%) and Austin (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Four-Lined Plant Bug live in Montreal?

Same family: Miridae

The closest relatives of the Four-Lined Plant Bug that you can see in Montreal (family Miridae, Plant Bugs) are North American Tarnished Plant Bug (about 10%) and Alfalfa Plant Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Four-Lined Plant Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Four-Lined Plant Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Montreal (55 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Montreal