Diet

• Adults and nymphs: Primarily plant-feeding, using their piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract fluids from leaves, stems, flowers and developing fruits.

• It has been recorded feeding on Solanaceae, including silver-leaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), tomato and black nightshade (Solanum nigrum). It has also been associated with passionflower (Passiflora spp.).

• Feeding on developing fruit can cause surface injury and reduced fruit quality, and the species has been reported as an economically important pest of tomato and other fruit and ornamental crops in parts of its range.

Range

• Phthiacnemia picta is a leaf-footed bug (Family Coreidae) in the Subfamily Coreinae and Tribe Anisoscelini.

• Around Zihua, it would likely be considered occasional to locally common, particularly in warm, open areas with suitable host plants. Its documented occurrence in Mexico and its broad distribution throughout tropical America place the Zihua region well within its overall range.

Habitat

• Occurs in tropical and subtropical woodland, dry forest, scrub, agricultural areas, gardens, roadsides and disturbed vegetation.

• It appears particularly well adapted to open habitats containing herbaceous plants and crops.

• Around Zihua, look for it on Solanaceae, passionflowers and other flowering or fruiting plants, particularly along forest margins, gardens and agricultural areas.

• It may occur in groups when suitable host plants are abundant.

Size

• Adults are approximately 12–16 mm long.

• The body is elongated and moderately robust, with the typical form of an Anisoscelini leaf-footed bug.

• One of its most unusual characteristics is its vivid metallic blue abdomen, which can be especially noticeable when the insect is flying or when the wings are partially raised.