Diet

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

• Species of Polymerus have been recorded from a wide variety of host plants, including members of the Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Boraginaceae, Poaceae and other plant families.

Range

• Polymerus is a genus of plant bugs (Family Miridae) in the Subfamily Mirinae and Tribe Mirini.

• The genus has a broad distribution across the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with species occurring in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

• Around Zihua, Polymerus would likely be considered occasional, with individual species occurring where suitable herbaceous host plants are present.

Habitat

• Occurs in a wide variety of grasslands, meadows, woodland margins, scrub, agricultural areas, gardens, roadsides and other areas supporting herbaceous vegetation.

• Many species favour flowering plants and dense low vegetation, where both adults and nymphs can feed and develop.

• Around Zihua, look for Polymerus on herbaceous plants, flowering vegetation and plants along forest edges and disturbed areas.

Size

• Adults are generally small to medium-sized plant bugs, with size varying considerably among species.

• The body is typically elongate to oval, with relatively long antennae and legs characteristic of Mirini.

• Colouration varies among species and can include green, brown, black, reddish and yellow markings. Some species have contrasting pale or yellow areas on the wings and body.