Garden Fleahopper, Halticus bractatus
(Hemiptera: Miridae)

The garden fleahopper is found in the eastern United States, South America and Canada. There are usually five generations per year, and the insect overwinters in the egg stage. The eggs are usually inserted into the stems of plants. The immatures are usually green while the adults are black, with the antennae and legs having a yellowish color. Immatures lack fully developed wings but the last immature stages will have wing pads. Males can be distinguished from females because males are thinner and have longer wings than females.

The garden fleahopper is not considered a pest of commercial crops but is a garden pest. It causes damage by sucking sap from the plant cells, leaving the foliage speckled with yellow or white spots. The garden leafhopper has a wide host range, but leguminous plants are more likely to be attacked. The most common biocontrol agent is a parasitic wasp. Suppression is commonly achieved by using insecticides. Cultural control practices include removal of alternate hosts and planting in areas that are free of leguminous plants.

Images

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Garden fleahopper injury to a bean leaf. The scattered
speckling is typical of fleahopper and other plant bugs
(family Miridae), but also of some other piercing-sucking
insects such as leafhoppers.
(Photographer: P. Choate, University of Florida)

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Garden fleahopper, Halticus bractatus, nymphal stage.
(Photographer: P. Choate, University of Florida)

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Garden fleahopper, Halticus bractatus, short-winged form.
These bugs, because their wings are short and their hind legs
are enlarged, look very much like flea beetles. They lack
chewing mouthparts, of course.
(Photographer: P. Choate, University of Florida)

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Garden fleahopper, Halticus bractatus, long-winged form.
These are more typical appearing "bugs." Males are always
long-winged, but females may be either short- or long-winged.
(Photographer: P. Choate, University of Florida)

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