Chinch Bugs

Identifying Hairy Chinch Bug

As an adult, Hairy Chinch Bug is gray to black in color and covered with fine hairs. Its wings are white with a black spot located in the middle front edge and the legs often have a burnt-orange appearance. This lawn insect sometimes has short wings that end halfway down the abdomen.

Hairy Chinch Bug undergoes five nymphal stages, all of which result in different color and markings. Many of the instar stages feature a cream colored band around the abdomen. Overall, the Hairy Chinch Bug is nearly identical in appearance to the Southern Chinch Bug. The area of adaptation is the easiest way to identify these pests.

Initial damage from this lawn insect will result in the turf having irregular patches of wilted, yellow-brown turf that could resemble drought stress. Feeding disrupts the plant from properly moving water which prevents recovery.

Dry conditions are when these insects are most active for growth and development. This is another reason why drought stress can often mask the damage caused by this insect. Sometimes the damage may not be seen until the turf fails to green up once the drought stress is no longer a problem.