Technical Name: Nysius huttoni
General:
Found throughout NZ. They damage Brassica crops by puncturing around the base of seedlings which causes an open wound to form in the tissues. Young seedlings can die quickly while the damage has a ring-barking effect on older seedlings.
Identification:
Eggs when first laid are creamy white but turn to deep orange by the time of hatching. Adults are usually start as a pale green colour and change to a brown/grey over time reaching a length of 4 mm. The adults have a characteristic silvery triangle at the tail end.