Fourlined Fruitworm: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life Cycle

Latin Name: Himella Intractata

Appearance: The nymphs of Fourlined plant bugs are tiny and have growing wings. They are brilliant red when they initially hatch, with black wing pads and black spots on their abdomen. Nymphs become reddish orange as they mature, and their wing pads become bigger, with a light-colored stripe on each. Adults can be mistaken for beetles. They have greenish yellow wings with four black lines going down them. The head is an orange-brown color, while the legs are a yellow-green color. They are around 14 – 1/3 inch long. Adults and nymphs both have piercing-sucking mouthparts.

Hosts Plants: Fruit Plants, Tomatoes

Territory: North America

Damage Insect Cause: Plants can be harmed by both adults and nymphs. They eat by piercing needle-like mouthparts into leaves and extracting chlorophyll (green pigment that helps with food production).

• This feeding results in black, circular, depressed patches measuring 1/16-to-1/8-inch broad. The patches may become obvious with time. After a few weeks, the damaged tissue may fall out and leave little holes.
• Severe feeding might cause browning of the leaves.
• Wilting can result from feeding on fresh growth.
• Fourlined plant damage might be mistaken with leaf spot disease damage.
• Spots that are identical in size and form are caused by Fourlined plant insect damage.
• Spots of varying sizes with darkened outside rims are caused by fungal and bacterial infections.

Life History and Habits: Fourlined plant bug eggs hatch in late spring, just as plant leaves begin to appear. For around four weeks, nymphs eat on the top side of leaves before molting into adults. Adults continue to eat before mating. Females deposit banana-shaped eggs in vertical slits two to three inches long along the plant’s stem. Adults continue to eat until early July. Every year, a new generation is born.