Diet

• Adults and nymphs: Primarily plant-feeding, using their piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract sap from leaves, stems and other tender plant tissues.

• Some species can cause small stippled or discoloured areas where they feed, although they are generally tiny insects and are not considered major pests.

• Microtechnites species are associated with a variety of herbaceous plants, but host-plant information is incomplete for several species.

Range

• Microtechnites is a genus of plant bugs (Miridae) in the subfamily Orthotylinae, tribe Halticini.

• Species occur in the Americas, with Microtechnites represented in Mexico and other parts of the Neotropics.

Habitat

• Found primarily in vegetation-rich habitats, including grasslands, meadows, scrub, woodland margins, fields and disturbed areas.

• Adults and nymphs live among leaves, stems and other fine vegetation, where their tiny size and subdued colouration make them easy to overlook.

• Around Zihua, suitable habitat would include grassy areas, low vegetation, forest edges and disturbed tropical vegetation.

Size

• Microtechnites are very small plant bugs, generally only a few millimetres long.

• Their bodies are usually oval to somewhat elongate, with relatively short wings compared with many larger Miridae.

• Colouration varies among species but commonly includes brown, grey, yellowish or reddish-brown tones.

• Like other Halticini, they have relatively powerful hind legs and can jump rapidly when disturbed, giving the group its common association with “fleahoppers.”