Beneficial True Bugs: Big-Eyed Bugs

Big-eyed bugs are predatory “true bugs” in the genus Geocoris (Fig. 1). There are about 25 recognized species of big-eyed bugs in the U.S. and Canada. Being a true bug, big-eyed bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts and incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, and adult stages). Nymph and adult big-eyed bugs are voracious predators and eat many different insect and mite species, categorizing them as generalist predators. Big-eyed bugs kill their prey immediately, sucking them dry, and eat many prey individuals to complete their development. Big-eyed bugs are abundant and found in varied sites from agricultural fields to small backyard gardens. Big-eyed bugs are small, fast, and have excellent vision. Because of these attributes, they often scurry away quickly and are overlooked.