Mirid

Last updated: 3 November 2026
(edited) Ngaio mirid © Dave Holland, some rights reserved (CC BY NC)
Photo by Dave Holland. Some rights reserved. Cropped for website

Description

Adult mirid are small brown coloured bugs about five millimetres in size. Nymphs are yellow to green in colour. Both the adult and juvenile are sap-sucking insects and feed on young leaves and stems.

Common native plant hosts

Scientific names Māori/common names
Asplenium spp., Blechnum spp., Cyathea
spp., Dicksonia spp.		 Ferns, ponga, hen and chicken fern, whekī,
whekī ponga, pikopiko, kiokio
Coprosma spp. Shiny karamu, twiggy coprosma, taupata,
mikimiki, kanono, manono
Myoporum laetum Ngaio
Scientific names
Asplenium spp., Blechnum spp., Cyathea
spp., Dicksonia spp.
Māori/common names
Ferns, ponga, hen and chicken fern, whekī,
whekī ponga, pikopiko, kiokio
Scientific names
Coprosma spp.
Māori/common names
Shiny karamu, twiggy coprosma, taupata,
mikimiki, kanono, manono
Scientific names
Myoporum laetum
Māori/common names
Ngaio

Symptoms and damage

  • can cause serious damage to ngaio and coprosma
  • leaf speckling
  • leaf bronzing
  • leaf distortion.

Prevention and control tips

  • chemical insecticides
  • spray oil
  • synthetic pyrethroids.

Image details

Photo by Dave Holland – Some rights reserved (CC BY NC)

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