Hello from Oklahoma! These bugs are all over my tomato garden. What are they and how do I control them? I believe that they are responsible for causing a few of my cherry tomatoes to shrivel up like raisins. I also suspect them of causing my tomato blossoms to die (could also be the extreme heat.) There is very little information on the internet about them and the local ag extension has never seen them before. Any answers or advice would be appreciated.
These are indeed stilt bugs (family Berytidae). Most species are harmless, but at least one is known to cause damage to tomatoes. See https://extension.psu.edu/spined-stilt-bug
Thanks for the response! I guess I am unlucky enough to have the tomato-loving variety! Any tips on how to control them? Soap/Neem is not effective.
The publication I cited had some control recommendations, but included this disclaimer: “…control of spined stilt bug has not been extensively studied and no studies have been done in tomatoes specifically.” That aside, if you cannot find an organic method that works, you might have to resort to something like Sevin (a carbamate pesticide).
