Tarnished Plant Bug / Lygus lineolaris

This very tiny Tarnished Plant Bug was on a Yarrow plant growing in Jim Coutts' amazing homestead garden, just north east of Nanton, southern Alberta. Love seeing these little bugs with their white heart pattern : ) The adult is about 3 mm wide and 6 mm long. and has a "distinctive, triangular or ‚ 'V'- shaped marking in the upper centre of their backs and membranous wingtips ... Only recently have lygus bugs been considered serious economic pests of canola."

Just got home from a busy, busy day, birding for maybe three hours this morning and then a special trip just south of the city to the Calgary Zoo Ranch. We are very fortunate to get this chance, and so were able to see a few endangered Whooping Cranes, which are in a breeding program there. Sandhill Cranes are also kept there. Also saw endangered Vancouver Island Marmots and several endangered Przewalski's Horses.

www.srd.alberta.ca/BioDiversityStewardship/WildSpecies/Bi...

nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AsiaTrail/fact-phorse.cfm

www.marmots.org/