Bug FAQPotato Mirid
Closterotomus norvegicus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Miridae
Also called: Plant bug
Source: Wikipedia
Young bugs are green, turning reddish-brown as adults, with two spots on the prothorax and dark marks on the scutellum. They eat nettles, clover, cannabis and a range of garden crops, preferring flowers, buds and unripe fruit. The species is native across the Palearctic, from the British Isles through continental Europe to Siberia, and is also found in North America as an introduced species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Nymphs are green; adults become reddish-brown. The prothorax bears two spots and the scutellum has dark markings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found on nettle, clover, cannabis and many other plants such as potatoes, carrots and chrysanthemums. They prefer feeding on flowers, buds and unripe fruit.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Its diet includes nettle, clover, cannabis and various crops like potatoes, carrots and chrysanthemums. It mainly feeds on flowers, buds and unripe fruit.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs across the Palearctic, from the British Isles east through Europe to Siberia. It is also present in North America as an adventive species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Maine, Washington, Idaho, New York, Utah.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the potato mirid damage?
It feeds on potatoes, carrots, chrysanthemums and other garden crops, especially targeting flowers, buds and unripe fruit.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I recognize a potato mirid?
Young bugs are green, turning reddish-brown as adults, with two spots on the prothorax and dark marks on the scutellum.
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/Closterotomus_norvegicus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.