Zoophytophagous
Guides
Atractotomus
Atractotomus is a genus of predatory plant bugs in the family Miridae. Species in this genus are primarily found in Europe, with some species established in North America. At least one species, A. mali, exhibits zoophytophagous feeding behavior and has become a recognized pest in apple orchards.
Atractotomus mali
Atractotomus mali is a zoophytophagous plant bug in the family Miridae, native to Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China) and introduced to North America. First described in 1843, it has become a recognized pest of apple (Malus domestica) in Canadian orchards, particularly in Nova Scotia where it was first documented causing fruit damage in the mid-20th century. The species was first recorded in Quebec in 2014, expanding its known Canadian distribution. Its feeding behavior combines plant and animal matter, though it has been observed causing more damage to fruit than providing predatory benefits in some orchard contexts.
Compsidolon salicellum
Compsidolon salicellum is a plant bug in the family Miridae native to the Palearctic region, with established adventive populations in North America. It inhabits sunny forest edges and isolated bushes, showing a preference for common hazel (Corylus avellana) while occasionally utilizing other deciduous shrubs. The species exhibits zoophytophagous feeding behavior and has a single annual generation with adults active from mid-July through late September.
Dicyphini
Dicyphini is a tribe of plant bugs in the subfamily Bryocorinae (family Miridae). Members are predominantly zoophytophagous, combining predation on agricultural pests with facultative plant feeding. Several species are commercially used as biological control agents in greenhouse vegetable production, particularly for whiteflies and lepidopteran pests on tomato and other Solanaceae crops. The tribe includes subtribes Dicyphina, Monaloniina, and Odoniellina, with genera such as Dicyphus, Macrolophus, Nesidiocoris, and Engytatus.
Dicyphus
Dicyphus is a genus of plant bugs in the family Miridae containing at least 70 described species. Several species, including D. hesperus, D. hyalinipennis, and D. tamanini, are zoophytophagous predators used in biological control of crop pests. The genus exhibits considerable variation in feeding ecology, with some species being primarily phytophagous while others are important predators of whiteflies, thrips, and other horticultural pests.
Macrolophus pygmaeus
Macrolophus pygmaeus is a zoophytophagous plant bug in the family Miridae, widely distributed across Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia. It functions as a generalist predator of agricultural pests including whiteflies, aphids, thrips, and spider mites, while also feeding on plant sap and extrafloral nectar. The species has been extensively studied for its potential as a biological control agent in greenhouse vegetable crops, particularly for controlling whiteflies and the tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta. Males produce distinctive vibrational signals during courtship and male-male interactions.
Orius insidiosus
insidious flower bug, minute pirate bug
Orius insidiosus, commonly known as the insidious flower bug or minute pirate bug, is a predatory true bug widely distributed across the Americas. Adults are approximately 2–3 mm in length, black with distinctive white wing markings. The species is an important biological control agent, mass-reared commercially for management of thrips, aphids, mites, and other agricultural pests in greenhouses and field crops. Both nymphs and adults are predatory, though they also feed on pollen and plant tissues, making them zoophytophagous. Despite their beneficial role, they occasionally bite humans, causing disproportionately painful but harmless irritation.
predatorbiological-controlzoophytophagousthrips-predatoraphid-predatormite-predatoragricultural-beneficialgreenhouse-biological-controloccasional-human-bitermass-rearedcommercial-natural-enemyintegrated-pest-managementurban-insect-ecologydiapauseoverwintering-adultendophytic-ovipositionpollen-feedingPhytocoris varipes
long-legged plant bug
Phytocoris varipes is a plant bug in the family Miridae, characterized by pinkish-brown to red-brown coloration with longitudinal markings on the upper surface. Adults and nymphs inhabit herbaceous plants and grasses, feeding primarily on flowers and immature fruits. The species has a broad distribution across Europe, extending east to the Caucasus and Iran, with an introduced population in Oregon, USA. Adults are active from June through October, with mating and oviposition occurring in mid-summer.