Poecilocapsus lineatus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Lined Plant Bug sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 379th most-seen of the 822 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.
April and May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Lined Plant Bug in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Four-Lined Plant Bug sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Four-Lined Plant Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
