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Phlox plant bug

Lopidea davisi[4]

The phlox plant bug is a small, red-and-black plant bug that sucks sap from garden phlox; it is the most serious pest of phlox, leaving leaves stippled, browned and curled.[1][2][3]

Group
Insect
Order
Hemiptera
Family
Miridae
US records
1 state
Sources
4 cited
Updated
2026-10-19

No licensed photo of this species is available yet; the identification notes below describe what to look for.

On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Where it lives
  3. Biology
  4. Damage and signs
  5. Health risk
  6. Control
  7. Related profiles
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

How to identify it

  • Adults are small and slender, about three times longer than wide, pink to reddish-orange with a black band down the back that widens toward the rear.[1][3]
  • They often hide on the undersides of leaves, so the damage is usually noticed before the bugs.[1][3]
  • Damage starts as white or light green spots on leaves and buds that turn into yellow stippling, then brown, curled leaves that dry and drop.[3]

Where it lives

NC State, Missouri Botanical Garden and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station all describe it as a pest of garden phlox.[1][3][2]

US map: public records from 1 state since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Eggs are laid in phlox stems and spend the winter in the dead stems.[1][3]

There are two generations a year: the first appears in late spring and the second in mid to late summer.[3]

Bugs pierce tender shoots and leaves at the growing tips and feed on leaves, stem tips, flowers and seeds.[2][3]

Damage and signs

  • Heavy feeding stunts plants and can kill them; Connecticut's Agricultural Experiment Station calls it the most serious of all phlox pests.[3][2][1]

Health risk

It feeds only on phlox; NC State, the Connecticut station and Missouri Botanical Garden mention no risk to people.[1][2][3]

Control

Sanitation

Cut back and destroy dead phlox stems and nearby litter in winter, before spring, to remove the overwintering eggs.[1][3]

Pesticides

Scout for nymphs in spring and spray insecticidal soap or a light horticultural oil on both leaf surfaces; Missouri Botanical Garden lists pyrethrins and permethrin if stronger control is warranted.[3]

Common questions

Why are my phlox leaves speckled, curling and turning brown?
Phlox plant bugs are a common cause; look under the leaves for small red-and-black bugs.[3][1]
How do I keep phlox plant bugs from coming back?
Remove and destroy the old phlox stems over winter, since the eggs overwinter in them.[1][3]

Sources

  1. NC State Extension, “Phlox Plant Bug and Other Lopidea Plant Bugs.” content.ces.ncsu.edu/phlox-plant-bug-and-other-lopidea-plant-bugs (accessed 2026-10-19)
  2. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, “Plant Pest Handbook: Phlox.” portal.ct.gov/caes/home/plant-pest-handbook/pphp/phlox-phlox (accessed 2026-10-19)
  3. Missouri Botanical Garden, “Phlox bugs (Help for the Home Gardener).” www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/insects/plant-bugs/phlox-bugs (accessed 2026-10-19)
  4. iNaturalist, “Lopidea davisi taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/782574 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-19. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.