Small green insect, aphid or beetle?

[JasonNY]

Found this guy crawling on my pool. Quite small, but unique markings. Not sure if it is a beetle or some kind of aphid...

Location: Central New York
Time: 2:00 PM





~ Jason

[Stormy Petrel]

It reminds me of a plant bug (Miridae), and looks like it could be a nymph. I'm not having luck with a match.

[Stormy Petrel]

I think this is indeed a Mirid nymph, and it seems to belong in the genus Lygus. Nice looking insect, and nice photos!

http://bugguide.net/node/view/543593/bgpage

[JasonNY]

Ah-ha! A lygus bug nymph! Cool!

About Lygus Bugs:

"Lygus bugs attack many field and vegetable crops and often attack tree fruits, particularly where they are near uncultivated land or alfalfa fields. Lygus bugs are found in Europe, Asia, and throughout the United States and southern Canada. Lygus lineolaris, also known as the tarnished plant bug, is the most prevalent species attacking tree fruits in the Northwest, but the brown lygus (Lygus hesperus) and the green lygus (Lygus elisus) are also common."

I do have a crab apple tree next to my pool, so he may have been munching on some apples!

~ Jason

[Eric]

Nothing to add here :-(