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Leaf Footed Bug

Identity crisis
Location: Lake Travis in Central Texas
October 26, 2011 9:35 pm
Help! I came across this beautiful bug while camping on Lake Travis in Central Texas earlier this month. It is obviously a bug with good taste since it is hanging out on a prickly pear cactus tuna. My guess is that it is a stinker or a leaffooted something but I don’t know what kind of stinker exactly.
Your pal,
Karen Sue
Signature: Karen Sue

Leaf Footed Bug

Dear Karen Sue,
This is an immature Leaf Footed Bug in the family Coreidae, and we believe it is in the genus Leptoglossus. It might be Leptoglossus clypealis based on the structure of the head. According to BugGuide: “A spine extending forwards from the tip of the nose (technically known as the tylus) distinguishes this species.” It is difficult to be certain that your specimen has this tylus because of the angle of the photo. Also, since your individual is an immature nymph, exact species identification may be difficult.

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¶ Posted 31 October 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Giant Western Conifer Seed Bug terrorizes Michigan

the other Michigan invader?
Location: Lansing, Michigan
October 5, 2011 7:11 pm
Hello,
Since early spring, I’ve seen a certain species of insect that I’ve never seen in MI. It’s some sort of beetle, loves windows, walks extremely slow and flies when necessary. There’s been a lot of talk regarding the Stink beetle but I don’t think this the same insect. I’ve seen big ones and little one and they are everywhere. What is it?
Signature: paw print

Western Conifer Seed Bug

Dear paw print,
We love your photo that reminds us of a scene from a 1950s era science fiction film of giant bugs terrorizing the world. The culprit is a Western Conifer Seed Bug, and though it is a Leaf Footed Bug that is not in the same family as the Stink Bugs, they are members of the same suborder Heteroptera. The Western Conifer Seed Bug is native to the Pacific Northwest, but since the 1970s, it has been expanding its range to the east and in the early 21st millenium, it was accidentally introduced to Europe where it has naturalized.

Daniel,
You have solved my year-long mystery!
Thanks!
Amariliz

¶ Posted 06 October 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: calendar 2011

Western Conifer Seed Bug invades Slovakia

Strange bug
Location: Slovakia, Central Europe
October 3, 2011 7:52 am
First of all sorry if I make any mistake, I am not from English speaking country.
So to the point, this bug started appearing right after our building got renovated. I`ve never seen this kind of a bug in my whole life and now it is everywhere. It is getting really annoying to get rid of them many times a day. Just out of sheer curiosity, what kind of bug is it and/or how can I possibly get rid of them?
Signature: Thank you, Lukas Brath

Western Conifer Seed Bug

Hi Lukas,
Your English is perfectly understandable. We can tell you for certain that this is a Leaf Footed Bug in the genus Leptoglossus, and we are relatively certain that it is a Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis. The Western Conifer Seed Bug is native to the Pacific Northwest, and beginning in the 1970s, it began to expand its range across North America in the northern latitudes. While it doesn’t seem to be much of a problem in its native range, once it became established in other areas, people began to complain that it entered homes to hibernate as the weather began to cool. We learned that in the early years of the 21st millenium, the Western Conifer Seed Bugs was accidentally introduced to Europe and is has become established there as well.
There is much information on the spread of the Western Conifer Seed Bug in Europe available on the internet, including a scholarly article entitled “Will the invasive western conifer seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae) seize all of Europe” by Jerzy A. Lis, Barbara Lis & Jerzy Gubernator. That article begins with the compelling statement: “In our day, thanks to high-speed transport systems, people are moving living species (intentionally or not) across ecosystems and countless borders. As we know, most introduced species usually do not survive, because they find neither a tolerable environment nor an available ecological niche. Sometimes, successful establishment may also require multiple introductions (Balcom 2004).” You should be able to find all the information you desire now that you know this is a Western Conifer Seed Bug.

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¶ Posted 03 October 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: Invasive Exotics

Unknown Insect from Turkey is Golden Egg Bug

Cool insect in South West Turkey
Location: South West Turkey- Kayakoy
September 25, 2011 6:49 am
Hi Bugman,
we were looking for creatures in Kayakoy in South West Turkey and found this little chap. It was about 1-1.5 cm long and was found in ground level vegetation among the ruins of the village. Superb camouflage.
Hope you can help.
Thanks for your time
Signature: Andy

Turkish Insect is Golden Egg Bug

Dear Andy,
We are a bit puzzled by this creature’s identity and we need additional time for research. Our first thought is that it must be a Hemipteran, but the clubbed antennae gives us a strong reason to doubt. The wings indicate that this is an adult. We will continue to research this after posting and we hope to get some additional opinions.

Comment from Carmen T.
I think it’s Phyllomorpha liciniata. Right appearance plus right location for distribution.

Ed. Note
Once we received the comment, we did a bit of research, and confirmed on BioLib that Phyllomorpha liciniata is the correct identification, and also that it is in the family Coreidae, the Leaf Footed Bugs. Images can also be found on Israel Insect World with information in Hebrew and Gallerie Insecte with information in French. We also learned on Evolutionary Population Biology that the female lays her eggs on the back of the male. Behavioral Ecology also contains research on the shared parenting for Phyllomorpha liciniata which is called the Golden Egg Bug. The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) (Spanish National Research Council) has one of the most thorough papers posted on this species and its unique mating habits. The study by Montserrat Gomendio and Piedad Reguera begins with this information: “Female golden egg bugs follow a flexible oviposition strategy because they lay eggs on other conspecifics (male and female) and on the host plant (Paronychia argentea). In natural populations a much higher proportion of males than females carry eggs and, among egg carrying adults, males carry more eggs than do females (see below). Females cannot lay eggs on themselves, so egg carrying females are always carrying other females’ eggs. It is less clear whether males carry their own offspring, other males’ offspring, or a combination of both. This has generated a controversy about whether egg carrying by males is a form of parental care, a case of intra-specific parasitism, or a combination of both.”

¶ Posted 25 September 2011 § ‡ Comments (2) °

Giant Mesquite Bug from Mexico

Found in Mexico, Satelite: Aug 27, 2011
Location: Mexico, Satelite
September 19, 2011 9:31 pm
Can you tell me the name of this bug and what family it belongs to. Also, does this bug have a stinger?
Signature: Rosa Maravillas

Giant Mesquite Bug

Hi Rosa,
This is a Giant Mesquite Bug or a close relative in the genus Thasus. Giant Mesquite Bugs are in the family Coreidae, the Leaf Footed Bugs or Big Legged Bugs and they do not have stingers. We frequently get requests to identify the brightly colored nymphs of the Giant Mesquite Bug, and you can see photos of the entire life cycle on Colin L. Miller’s wildlife website.

¶ Posted 20 September 2011 § ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: Edible Insects: Tasty Morsels

Woman terrorized by bunnies finds Leaf Footed Bug

WHAT IS THIS BUG
Location: copy and pasted
August 25, 2011 7:26 am
OK A FRIEND OF MINE FOUND THIS BUG IN HER HOUSE AND SHE IS SCARED TO DEATH SHE ALSO HAS BUNNIES IN HER HOUSE WHAT IS THIS BUG
Signature: ROB

Leaf Footed Bug

Dear Rob,
We are sorry to learn that your friend has a morbid fear that she might have bunnies in her house. Let her know that she doesn’t need to fear this Leaf Footed Bug in the genus Leptoglossus, though they sometimes enter homes to hibernate as cool weather approaches.

¶ Posted 25 August 2011 § ‡ Comments (2) °

Immature Leaf Footed Bug

Odd bug in Ohio
Location: Ohio, woods near a creek
July 4, 2011 6:46 pm
The bug has three legs and two long antennae, and its eyes are red. The body looks like a V, referring to the wide tail that points upward, and the thorax and head which point up forming a bend, because the junction of the thorax and abdomen is relatively low to the ground. The legs are black with the exception that near the tips they turn white and then orange. The antennae are also black, white, and orange. It seems as though the bug can walk sideways as well as forwards and backwards. I found it on July 4, on my trampoline( probibly doesn’t matter.
Signature: Bradley L.

Immature Leaf Footed Bug

Dear Bradley,
Just yesterday we posted a very similar photo which we identified as an immature Leaf Footed Bug, most likely Acanthocephala terminalis.

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¶ Posted 05 July 2011 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Immature Leaf Footed Bug

what is this
Location: gatlinburg tn
July 3, 2011 10:45 pm
was in the smoky mountains and spotted this bug. in gatlinburg tn.. what is this
Signature: bug

Immature Leaf Footed Bug

Dear Bug,
This is an immature Leaf Footed Bug in the family Coreidae, but we do not recognize the species. The metallic blue coloration of the abdomen, red eyes and striped legs are all significant features that might be used for identification. We have found a match on bugGuide from nearby North Carolina, but alas, it is not identified beyond the family level. There was a speculation on that posting that it might be Acanthocephala terminalis, and BugGuide has images of immature individuals that seem to indicate that is a strong possibility. The information page on BugGuide may provide you with additional insight.

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¶ Posted 04 July 2011 § ‡ Comments (1) °