Size
body 3 mm wide and 6 mm long
Identification
Adult: body either mottled or solid color varying from pale green to reddish-brown or black with pale Y or V shape on scutellum; antennae and legs relatively long
Nymph: young nymphs are pale green and wingless or have tiny wing buds that grow with age; older nymphs take on more adult coloration and develop 5 black dorsal spots (2 pairs straddling the midline of the thorax, and 1 spot on the midline of the abdomen)
Habitat
fields, ground cover or low shrubs in deciduous woodlands
Season
active from spring through fall
Food
Host plants include alfalfa, canola, lentils, potato, strawberries, vegetable crops, flax, hemp, fababean, tree fruits and weeds such as redroot pigweed, stinkweed, wild mustard, lambsquarters.
Life Cycle
overwinters as an adult under fallen leaves or other ground cover; one generation per year in the far north; several generations in the south
