HornedBug
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
October 22, 2010 7:47 am
I found this guy in my garden on a rose bush. There were two of them close to one another, I moved this one to get a pic and then when I wanted to return it (to it’s mate) it flew away. It was probably just over an inch in length.
Signature: Rudi
Hi,
I just sent in a request earlier, but have found the answer.
The “orange antennae” is how I got to the identification. Should probably add that key to my pic if you’d like to add it.
It is a leaf footed bug,
Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Leaf-footed Bugs (Coreidae) » Acanthocephala
Regards
Rudi
Tip Wilter
Hi Rudi,
True Bugs in the family Coreidae are often called Leaf Footed Bugs or Flag Footed Bugs, though a third common name, Big Legged Bug, seems most appropriate in your case. Those thoracic protuberances are quite impressive. We haven’t the time to research a species name at the moment, but there are some unmistakable similarities to the genus Acanthocephala from North America, including the Acanthocephala confraterna pictured on BugGuide. Just before hitting post, we did a quick search and found images of a Tip Wilter, Anoplocnemis curvipes, on the Biodiversity Explorer website that closely resembles your insect.
P.S. We didn’t notice your second email until we began to research this posting.
Tip Wilter
I like This
Have photo to ad, need the name of this bug,
I am a little bit sceptic about Anoplocnemis curvipes. This one looks for me more like Elasmopoda sp., which was formerly Holopterna sp. Please, check the links. The one from Biodiversity Explorer might be mis-IDed.
http://coreoidea.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/ShowImage.aspx?TaxonNameID=1189350&ImageID=193211
http://coreoidea.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1189347
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elasmopoda_alata,_f,_Pretoria.jpg
http://www.ispotnature.org/node/694695?nav=parent_ob
http://www.ispotnature.org/node/722964?nav=related
http://www.ispotnature.org/species-dictionaries/sanbi/Elasmopoda%20valga
You might well be correct. Thanks for all the links. We are in agreement that this is a Coreid Bug and the common name in South Africa is a Tip Wilter or Twig Wilter.
How do I get rid of the Tip Wilter bugs? My Gardenia Thunburgia is infested with them,
is there a Systemic poison I can use?
We don’t provide extermination advice, but perhaps one of our readers will comment.
Elasmopoda alata?