The leaf-footed bug has five nymph instar stages
This photo of a leaf-footed bug was taken while Jill and I were out for a hike in Shades State Park in Waveland, Indiana. Shades offers one of the most unique hikes in Indiana. We had started the hike on trail number one which goes through Devil’s Punchbowl and ends at Silver Cascade waterfalls. This was a particularly fun trail as you end up traveling through the creek bed for most of the trail. From there we went over to trails four and five. We went down trail five until we got to the ladders, which we decided would be too dangerous to traverse with our dog, Landon. We then went over to trail seven to trail 8 which is where I took this photo.
What is this bug?
The leaf-footed bug in this photo looks so wild because it is actively molting. The leaf-footed bug goes through three lifecycle stages: egg, nymph, and adult. There are five instar stages to the nymph portion of their lifecycle in which they have very different appearances. During their early instar stages, they are reddish with black legs. This can make them appear similar to the wheel bug. Their name comes from their appearance as adults. In this final stage of their lifecycle, they develop an expanded dilation of the lower portion of their leg. This pronounced tibia can look like a leaf, giving them their name.
About Leaf-footed Bugs
The scientific name for this leaf-footed bug is Leptoglossus oppositus. They are distinguished from other leaf-footed bugs by the deep scallops on their hind tibia, and the three white spots across their hemelytra. The hemelytra, also known as the elytron, is a modified, hardened forewing found on beetles. This serves as a protective wing case for the hindwings that sit underneath the hemelytra. This genus sits under the Coreidae family of sap-sucking bugs. The entire family of insects is commonly referred to as leaf-footed bugs. During all stages of the leaf-footed bugs lifecycle, they have piercing and sucking mouthparts that they use to feed on leaves, shoots, stems, and fruit.
The Leptoglossus oppositus has no common names other than the broadly used leaf-footed bug which covers the whole family of bugs. It is typically bright or dark reddish brown. They are primarily found in the United States and south to Bolivia. There is a similar species Leptoglossus fulvicornis, but it does not have any white spots along its body.
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