# Common Nettle Flower Bug

*Plagiognathus arbustorum*

This species is zoophytophagous, meaning it happily balances a vegan diet of sap with a predatory diet of crop-damaging pests.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hemiptera › Miridae › Plagiognathus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Grasslands, roadside verges, waste grounds, and woodland edges rich in stinging nettles.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; feeds on plant juices (primarily nettles) and small insects like aphids and mites.
- **Range:** Europe, Northern Asia, North America
- **Size:** 3.6 - 4.5 mm
- **Lifespan:** 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide application and the widespread clearance of wild nettle patches.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This tiny bug poses no threat to humans. You can safely observe them on nettle leaves. If handled roughly, they may attempt a tiny, harmless pinch with their microscopic rostrum, which requires no medical attention.

## About

Plagiognathus arbustorum is a species of insects in the family Miridae, the plant bugs....

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/84a9a7ee-82ae-4775-bbbe-6a62f1f0989e
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/204590
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiognathus arbustorum
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/8487635/medium.jpg (portioid, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.