Green vegetable bug

Builds through summer and peaks in late summer and autumn, January to April.

The green vegetable bug is a shield-shaped sap-sucking bug that pierces beans, tomatoes, sweetcorn and brassicas and injects saliva that scars and distorts the crop. Adults are bright green and give off a foul smell when squashed, and they breed up fast over a warm summer.

How to identify

• Bright green shield-shaped bugs about 15mm long, with three small white spots in a line at the shoulder
• Rounded nymphs that change colour as they grow, from orange to black with white or red markings
• Barrel-shaped egg clusters on leaf undersides
• Dimpled, scarred or distorted beans, tomatoes and pods
• A strong unpleasant smell when bugs are disturbed or squashed

How to prevent

• Check leaf undersides weekly from early summer and squash egg clusters
• Clear weeds and spent crops where bugs shelter and lay
• Cover valued crops with fine insect mesh during peak months
• Encourage the parasitic wasp Trissolcus and other natural enemies by avoiding harsh sprays

How to control organically

• Hand-pick adults and nymphs into soapy water in the cool of the morning when they are sluggish
• Squash egg clusters and young nymphs while they are grouped together
• Spray neem oil or a soap spray onto nymphs, which are far easier to kill than adults
• Use pyrethrum at dusk for a knockdown during heavy infestations
• Protect parasitic wasps, the main natural control of this bug in New Zealand