Leaf Leg Bug
leaf footed bug
leaf footed bug with fly eggs
Leptoglossus oppositus
Though these bugs and their relatives are prolific, I never encountered them until we moved to North Carolina. These two were found in our yard in Holly Springs, hanging out near the magnolia tree. I poked at them a bit as they appeared harmless.
It turns out these guys can be pretty aggressive and they are nasty pests for certain trees. They suck the juices out of plants, especially conifers. They are a true bug and are one of the largest in the true bug family with some growing to about an inch.
Online I found countless horrific accounts from gardeners trying to rid them via by hand, using scissors to decapitate them or using chemicals/pesticides. When they try and spray them these bugs zero in on your face and fly right for it. Holy crazy. Apparently my mild poking and picture taking didn’t agitate these dudes too much because they sat on the leaf, mellow and as happy as clams. It could also be that they are easily confused with squash bugs (which can devastate tomato gardens) or even assassin bugs – which pack a nasty bite and are a bit more aggressive.
The leaf footed bugs generally won’t hurt common garden plants and they can’t hurt humans. They are fairly slow moving though they can fly. They also like to live outdoors, but may come inside during the winter if they are looking for a warm place to see the season through. The best way to remove them is by hand. Their nymphs (5 stages in total, and called Instars before they reach adulthood) do the most damage from feeding.
Parasite scare!
The second image shows 4 little white spots on the head of the leaf footed bug – those spots are likely Tachnid fly eggs. Tachnid flies are sort of like general house flies – but can get a little bigger. Some of them mimic wasps and bees as well. They are considered beneficial insects and do no damage to plants, though they do amazing and horrific damage to their host insect.
The eggs that are on the head of the leaf footed bug above will eventually hatch. From there the larva will burrow into the body of the bug where it will continue to develop. When it’s ready it chews its way out of the host insect and drops to the ground to pupate in the soil.
Hi–I was on a nature walk with some kids yesterday and we saw a leaffooted bug with dots on its head like these. I told them they were eggs from a parasite and hoped I was right–it was the one thing that really sank in that day! They were fascinated by the idea. Thanks for IDing the parasite for me. Knew about tachinids on caterpillars, not on other bugs.