The tarnished plant bug is found throughout North America, but it is primarily a pest in temperate nondesert areas. It feeds on more than fifty economically important plants , including alfalfa , cotton, strawberries, brambles, and most tree fruits grown in the United States. It has two to five generations per year, depending on the location. The tarnished plant bug is a true bug (order Hemiptera), with piercing-sucking mouthparts.