Capsid bugs



 

Small brown or yellow sucking insects which feed mainly on the young growth of fruit and herbaceous plants. They cause irregular holes together with distortion of the leaves and shoots. Fruits and flowers can become grotesque as a result of the depleted sap supply and overcompensation of the plant cells.

 

Like aphids, they can transmit viral infections. At the first sign of attack, spray with a contact pesticide such as pyrethrin.