Bug FAQCommon Nettle Flower Bug
Plagiognathus arbustorum · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Miridae
Also called: Plant bug, Stripe-legged Nettle Bug
Adult Common Nettle Flower Bugs are tiny, measuring about 3.6 to 4.5 mm in length. They live in high-altitude herbaceous sites, ruderal areas and even salty spots, up to more than 2000 m in the Alps. These bugs are widespread, occurring in North America, most of Europe and eastward to Siberia and Central Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Their colour ranges from almost black to pale olive-green, with the head, pronotum, first two antennal segments and the edges of the hind femora usually completely dark.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults are 3.6 to 4.5 mm long (about 0.14 to 0.18 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They inhabit high-altitude herbaceous habitats, disturbed (ruderal) areas and salty spots, and can be found above 2000 m in the Alps.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It is polyphagous, feeding on many herbaceous plants, especially those in the nettle, aster, mint, legume, rose and carrot families.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are present from July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You can see adults during the months of July to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is common in the Nearctic realm (North America) and is also widespread across most of Europe, extending east to Siberia and Central Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, Oregon.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Common Nettle Flower Bugs active?
Adults are active from July to October.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do they feed on?
They feed on a wide range of herbaceous plants, especially those in the nettle, aster, mint, legume, rose and carrot families, targeting buds, flowers and young fruits.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Miridae)
North American Tarnished Plant BugLygus lineolarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red-spotted Plant BugDeraeocoris ruber
Alfalfa Plant BugAdelphocoris lineolatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Meadow Plant BugLeptopterna dolabrataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Four-lined Plant BugPoecilocapsus lineatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Lygus pratensisLygus pratensisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiognathus_arbustorum
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.