Authors: Julia Dubeau (Research Assistant, OMAFA), Rose Labbé, PhD (Research Scientist, Greenhouse Entomology, AAFC), and Cara McCreary (Greenhouse Vegetable IPM Specialist, OMAFA)
Meet the Creature
For this Creature Feature, we’re meeting Nesidiocoris tenuis, commonly known as Nesi, green bug, or tomato bug.
Nesi is a small green mirid bug that has become a concern for Ontario greenhouse vegetable growers – specifically greenhouse tomatoes and greenhouse cucumbers but greenhouse peppers are also a potential host.
At first glance, Nesi might not look too scary. It is small, green, and easy to mistake for something helpful. But this is one of those “don’t judge a bug by its colour” situations — not every green bug in the crop is a good bug!
Nesi is an omnivorous mirid, meaning it can feed on both insects and plant tissue. In some regions around the world, it has been used as a beneficial insect, but in Ontario greenhouse vegetable production it is considered a pest because of the plant damage it can cause.
Continue reading “Creature Feature: Nesi — The Green Bug That’s Not Always Good News”