What are these bugs on my container tomatoes?

8 years ago

I can't find an exact picture of them. They are blackish brown with what appear to be red or orange eyes, and the babies are mostly all orange. They hang out all over my tomatoes and their leaves but don't seem to do any damage to the fruit. I don't recall seeing them in the winter, but they have slowly increased in population since the weather got warm. They don't seem to fly but crawl, and they are not easily deterred. I can't tell if they are the reason I have so many brown leaves.

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Michael AKA Leekle2ManE

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Sounds to me like Leaf-Legged Bugs. They are a bane on tomatoes and will drain a fruit before it's ready to be picked. I am trying to get that eco-friendly biological balance going in my yard, but I have yet to see anything that eats these things, so if I see them on the plants, I thump the leaves/fruit to get them to drop and then step on them. I have also found out this year that coreopsis seems to be a good trap plant for them as they are more popular on those flowers than on my tomatoes this year. The downside is they will drain the seed-heads before the seeds are ready.

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Comments (8)

carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
8 years ago
Sounds like one of the 'true' bugs - you might find it described here...

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/main/search_common.htm

Tip: use 'Find' in your browser menu & enter the word 'bug' to highlight all on the list.
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Robolink--I agree that there is a type of assassin that does look similar--but when they congregate in groups and you have seen mature leaf-footed bugs those red v-shaped bodies are the nymphs of leaf-footed bug. It is not supposed to be easy to control stinkbugs, leaf-footed bugs, and squash bugs once they are adults. The link below does list some insecticides. I was getting good at capturing lots of stinkbugs at once by putting a plastic baggy over one of their little community meetings ,where they all gather together to decide how to go about sucking on my tomatoes, then I would kind -of shake them into the bag. I also caught the some adults that way. I think on leaf-footed bugs I also tried pyrethrin only right on them when I saw them, not over all the plants. Thinking about getting one of those cheap insect vacuum cleaners as I am sure it would work great on these guys. Sort of like the kind you vacuum keyboards with I guess. By the way, on that particular type of LFB their eggs are supposed to be pearly or gold--I look for them but have never seen them. They probably reproduce in weeds and then fly on over. Here is a link that might be useful: Insects on Tomatoes
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Patty Bee Port St. Lucie Zone 10A
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
>Sounds to me like Leaf-Legged Bugs.

You are correct. I looked up how to control them, and in my case, with just a few plants in containers, it says to go out in the morning and crush as many as you can. Yuck. I just went out and did in a bunch of them, but the nymphs are very difficult to grab. Maybe I will try to dig up the coreopsis that grow wild in the swales surrounding my house and put them in pots among the tomato containers.—think that will work?
Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
8 years ago
Perhaps it will. For getting the nymphs and adults, don't try to grab them, they are indeed very quick. Last year I tried spraying them with Neem Oil and Soap, but they were very quick to duck around a leaf and avoid most of the spray. This year I have taken to thumping the plants. As quick as they are, it seems they are easily bumped from the plants.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
8 years ago
Take a container w/ a few inches of soapy water in the bottom w/ you & knock the bugs into it - it's easier than trying to catch & squish them during the heat of the day, when they're likely most active.
Patty Bee Port St. Lucie Zone 10A
Original Author
8 years ago
I was quite successful squishing today— 2nd time I wore a disposable glove which lessened the ick factor. However, I noticed that many of them dropped down to escape me as I reached in to squish. Perhaps your idea will be better if my soapy water container is there to catch them as they fall. Thanks.

By the way, how do I add my zone to my name?
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
RE: editing your name - on my browser, @ the upper right there is a link 'My Houzz' & when I click it, the 1st item is 'edit profile' - when I click, I see my name w/ an 'edit' button right next to it...
Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
8 years ago
Cardinals. Cardinals are your friend for these bugs. I do not recall seeing them last year or the year before, but the past week or so I have woken in morning hours, looked out my window and seen a male cardinal hopping through the stems of my tomato plants pecking at the stems. I also have had fewer bugs to worry about this week. It is strange that only after saying, "I have yet to see anything that eats these things..." does he show up and start working. It seems to happen that way a lot in my yard. "Oh really? Well, I have never seen that in my... never mind."

What are these bugs on my container tomatoes?

Michael AKA Leekle2ManE

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Comments (8)

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