| Summary: | The Rio Grande Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the U.S and is located in the southernmost part of Texas. In October 2013, we detected an exotic plant bug, <i>Nesidiocoris tenuis</i> Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) occurring in the region. <i>Nesidiocoris tenuis</i> has zoophytophagous habits; however, in the absence of insect prey, it feeds on its plant hosts. After its morphological and genetic identification, this study monitored the population of <i>N. tenuis</i> in its introduction phase in commercial fields and corroborated its establishment in research fields for three years. Populations of <i>N. tenuis</i> were high during the fall and low during winter. This study found that <i>N. tenuis</i> populations were higher in tomato fields as compared to adjacent pepper, okra, and squash fields, indicating its host preferences during the introduction phase. Recurrent population growth patterns suggest that <i>N. tenuis</i> was established in Rio Grande Valley with permanent populations in tomato fields. In addition, <i>N. tenuis</i> populations were affected by tomato cultivar selection and by plastic mulch color. The presence of <i>N. tenuis</i> could establish a new trophic insect relationship for vegetable production. However, it is unknown if the presence of <i>N. tenuis</i> may help to control pests of economic importance, such as whiteflies in cotton, or become a pest on sesame, an emerging crop.
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