Bug FAQStenodema vicinum
Stenodema vicinum · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Miridae
Source: Wikipedia
It has been linked to “silver top” damage in grass seed crops. Like its relatives, it feeds by puncturing the leaf sheaths of grass stems.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Stenodema vicinum belongs to the true-bug family Miridae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Members of the Stenodema genus, including this species, are found feeding on grass stems by piercing the leaf sheaths.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It feeds on the blades of the grass Muhlenbergia schreberi, commonly called nimblewill.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Idaho, Vermont, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What damage does Stenodema vicinum cause?
It causes silver-top damage in grass seed crops.
Source: Wikipedia
What does Stenodema vicinum eat?
It feeds on the blades of nimblewill grass (Muhlenbergia schreberi).
Source: Wikipedia
Where does this bug feed on the plant?
It feeds by piercing the leaf sheaths of grass stems.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Miridae)
North American Tarnished Plant BugLygus lineolarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red-spotted Plant BugDeraeocoris ruber
Alfalfa Plant BugAdelphocoris lineolatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Meadow Plant BugLeptopterna dolabrataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Four-lined Plant BugPoecilocapsus lineatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Lygus pratensisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenodema_vicinum
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.