- 1). Examine your tomato plants for holes; small serpentine trails, called mining; and leaf discoloration, defoliation or deformation. Small flea beetles make round holes in foliage. Fruit worms attack the stem side of the tomato fruit. Tomato pinworms and leafminers are small worms that make serpentine trails within leaves. Other insects such as aphids, whiteflies, stink bugs and tomato bugs suck the sap out of leaves or fruit, causing deformation and defoliation. Aphid damage, when not severe, does not prevent the maturation and fruiting of tomato plants, according to the University of California Pest Management Guidelines.
- 2). Note the size of the insects on your tomato plants. Some of the smallest pests on tomatoes are russet mites. They are only 1/100 of an inch long and you will need a strong magnifying glass or microscope to identify them. Other small insects include aphids, whiteflies, psyllids, flea beetles and leafhoppers. Their sizes range from 1/20 to 1/8 inch. The tomato bug is larger at about 1/4 inch and the stink bug is up to 5/8 inch long.
- 3). Identify the insects on your tomatoes by their coloration. Flea beetles, aphids and psyllids are black; they appear as little black dots. Some aphids are also green or pinkish. The stink bug and slender tomato bug are usually green. Some stink bugs are brown. The most common stink bug species in California is the consperse stink bug. The consperse stink bug is green or gray-brown with orange or yellow legs. Whiteflies are white and russet mites are reddish or yellowish.
- 4). Take note of the time when you see insects or their damage on your tomato plants. Early in the season, aphids and flea beetles start to infest tomato plants, according to the University of California Agricultural and Resources Department. Other insects such as stink bugs will appear once the tomato plants set fruit. You may see tomato bugs in mid-summer and their numbers will increase into autumn.
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