Above: Bigeyed bugs can be found on lawns or garden plants. UF/IFAS photo by Lyle Buss.

My, what big eyes you have!

As their name says, the bigeyed bugs are characterized by their two prominent eyes. These relatively small bugs (about one-sixth of an inch long) hang out on turf, ornamental plants and agricultural crops. Their appetite for pests such as mites, aphids, and bollworms make them beneficial bugs for humans.

More facts about the bigeyed bug:

• There are several species of bigeyed bug. The one most common species found in Florida is known by the scientific name Geocoris punctipes. Species of bigeyed bugs are found all over the United States and southern Canada.
• Bigeyed bugs can be mistaken for chinch bugs. Chinch bugs damage turf while bigeyed bugs eat pests that can damage turf. Turf and lawn managers have to be able to tell the difference to avoid getting rid of these beneficial bugs.
• Bigeyed bugs eat their prey by sucking out their fluids — yum!

Learn more about bigeyed bugs at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in517.

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