# What are these bugs on tomatoes?



## TranTheMan (Aug 17, 2009)

They seem to prefer certain type of tomatoes, but not all. Google said that they are leaffooted bug nymphs? Any way to get rid of them?


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

Sevin dust will make fertilizer outta them they show up every yr **** mooches!


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## whistech (Jul 25, 2005)

You better get them while they are small. When they are grown, they are very hard to kill.
I spray with Bayer lawn and garden total control.


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## Tail_Pincher (Jul 5, 2011)

Those look like wheel bug nymphs. Don't kill as they are predators of nuisance bugs. They're good to have around.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/trees/wheel_bug.htm


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## joe h (Jul 3, 2012)

Juvenile leaf footed hoopers. Spray quick with cifluthrian. May have spelled wrong.

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## MichaelW (Jun 16, 2010)

They look more like Assassin bugs.


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## MichaelW (Jun 16, 2010)

After a bit more research I think I am wrong. Joe may be right. Found this about the bugs.


The leaf footed are always in groups and have black spots on the nymphs, while the assassin are most often single and have silver spots on them. The leaf foot is a major pest in my area and can ruin a tomoato crop before you know you even have a problem. They pierce the green tomato with their proboscis damageing the fruit, then when it ripens the area around the site gets hard stays green and does not ripen rendering the fruit unusable and a site open for moisture and pathogens to enter. Organic control is near imposable. Try insect screening to keep them out. Hand picking is an option use a can with a bit of vegetable oil in it and hold it under the bugs then move your other hand toward them and they normally drop into the can. It is necessary to know the differance because the assassin bugs eat the stink bug (leaf-footed) nymphs and other harmful insects. The leaf foot is not picky about what it eats cactus as mentioned above, corn, berries, tomatos, peppers, sunflowers they love sunflowers.


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## whiskey1 (May 8, 2014)

need to get rid of those bugs at all cost.


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## locolobo (Dec 2, 2005)

OK, what is the general consensus? I have a lot of both (not so bad so far this year) but the flat footed leaf hoppers devastate tomatos, peppers, eggplant, several varieties of veggies. Don't know who the parent is but I wish I knew. Don't wanna kill the good ones.














i have


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Dust them with Sevin dust...


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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

x4 leaf footed babies.
kill em dead.

They killed a lot of my garden production last year before i even knew what hit me.


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## B-1 83 (Sep 22, 2009)

You might try insecticidal soap or diatomaceous earth before the Sevin dust. Sevin is good stuff, but is hell on beneficials and almost always results in a release of spider mites.


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

B-1 83 said:


> You might try insecticidal soap or diatomaceous earth before the Sevin dust. Sevin is good stuff, but is hell on beneficials and almost always results in a release of spider mites.


I'm not sure Diatomaceous earth does much good with these. I use DE on them but I don't know if it kills them. I do know they seem to not like it on them and fly off in the dust cloud, but don't know if they die from it. I'm going to try Kaolin clay next - on order with Amazon.com.

Kaolin clay link > http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg0111564818266.html


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## laqua (Jan 9, 2006)

I use one part Dawn Dish Soap and five parts water in a spray bottle. They pretty much suffocate and fall to the ground dead.


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## buckweet (Aug 8, 2011)

*get em now!*

the assassin and leaf footed look similar at this stage. 
I would not take the chance, kill them at all cost. 
my buddy turned me on the using a small battery operated vacuum get them as they can run around. 
they have devastated my tomatoes before, worse as they grow which seems to coincide with heat.


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## albert white (Feb 3, 2008)

Dad called them Sting Bugs, not stink bugs. they make little spots on the tomatoes that is very unappealing


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## buckweet (Aug 8, 2011)

Here is interesting bunch. all the same leaf cutters in various phase of life. had to take a photo as the big was 1.5" to 2" long, biggest I have ever seen. Tomatoes are about done for the year, been a good one!


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

My crops almost done but now that its hot they showed up. Sorry bugs I'm done.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

X5. Leaf footed plant bugs in Nymph stage. 
I've been growing tomatoes for 25+ years. 
Kill with liquid Sevin. 
OR spend a lot of time hand picking and crushing them. They will cause hard yellow knots on tomato fruit, essentially ruining them. 

Good luck
RFA


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