Subject: Are leaf-footed bugs invasive?
Location: Dover, NH
October 26, 2012 12:03 pm
Hi, It is autumn in New England, so that means the office at my work is buzzing with leaf-footed bugs. Are they native or are they invasive?
Love your site!
Thanks,
Linda
Signature: Linda
Western Conifer Seed Bug
Dear Linda,
Many Leaf Footed Bugs are native to your part of the country, however this species, the Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, is not one of them. The Western Conifer Seed Bug is native to the Pacific Northwest, and sometime in the 1960s, it began to expand its range across the continent. It is unclear if this was a natural range expansion or if the Western Conifer Seed Bug was transported by people, though we suspect the latter to be the case.
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Have identified several of these in my neighborhood of Jackson, NH.
I caught one of these Western Conifer Seed Bugs on my Jade Plant. Creemore, Ontario, Canada (close to Georgian Bay). Strange thing to find in my house in the middle of winter.
Your site is a great source for insect identification.
Thanks