There are several species of capsid bug, and most are harmless to plants. Those that suck the sap of plants, feed at the shoot tips, on very young leaves and on flower buds, causing damage as they do so.
Adult capsid bugs are either green or brown and around 6mm long (¼in). The young nymphs are usually pale green and, because they’re wingless, can’t fly.
The common green capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus) overwinters as eggs on plants. These hatch in spring, producing nymphs, which become adults by mid-summer. These lay eggs to produce a second generation before the onset of winter.
The tarnished or bishop bug (Lygus rugulipennis), on the other hand, overwinters as adults that find a sheltered place to spend the colder months. These lay eggs on plants in spring, which again produce nymphs and a second generation of adults.
This means that plants are mainly damaged from May to August/September.
The apple capsid (Plesiocoris rugicollis) overwinters as eggs laid in the bark of trees, which hatch in April or May. It only has one generation a year, timed to the production of fruit.