plant bug

noun

1. any of numerous, often brightly colored hemipterous insects of the family Miridae that feed on the juices of plants.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plant bug¹

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

Syngonium hastiferum is one of the first plants shown to have evolved to coax this service from a plant bug.

From Science Magazine

Its pollen was also spiny and powdery instead of the usual smooth and sticky, so it sticks but does not get stuck among the hairs of the plant bug’s body.

From Science Magazine

For some insects like cutworms, it's the larvae that do the damage, in others, such as the tarnished plant bug, it's the nymphs and adults that severely damage vegetables, berries, fruit trees, and ornamental plants.

From Salon

"My best friend suddenly turned from someone with a brown finger into a serious plant bug," she says.

From BBC

No longer must the authorities deploy secret police to shadow opposition figures or plant bugs in their phones.

From New York Times