Lygus lineolaris
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The tarnished plant bug (TPB), Lygus lineolaris, is a species of plant-feeding insect in the family Miridae. It has piercing-sucking mouthparts and has become a serious pest on small fruits and vegetables in North America. It is considered a highly polyphagous species and feeds on over half of all commercially grown crop plants, but favors cotton, alfalfa, beans, stone fruits, and conifer seedlings. A study done in southwestern Quebec, Canada has investigated the presence of L. lineolaris in a commercial vineyard. This study also indicated that weeds that grow from cultivation of crops serve as an important food source for L. lineolaris. This insect can be found across North America, from northern Canada to southern Mexico. Adults grow up to 6.5 mm in length, and are brown with accents of yellow, orange or red, with a light-colored "V" on the back (dorsal). The genome has recently been sequenced for the first time.
Lygus lineolaris is most commonly found in the eastern half of North America. A study done to track the genetic diversity and overall distribution of L. lineolaris, specifically on host plants, in North America sampled three separate populations... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a North American Tarnished Plant Bug sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 447th most-seen of the 723 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.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a North American Tarnished Plant Bug in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most North American Tarnished Plant Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 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 North American Tarnished Plant Bug sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Miridae
The closest relatives of the North American Tarnished Plant Bug that you can see in Shenandoah National Park (family Miridae, Plant Bugs) are Four-Lined Plant Bug (about 10%) and Common Green Capsid (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the North American Tarnished Plant Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (7 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.
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