During the warmer months, you may come across an unusual looking insect in your home or garden that has a distinct triangle shape and wings folded over its back. This unique bug is likely a species of leaf-footed bug belonging to the Coreidae family Learning to identify these insects can satisfy your curiosity when you spot them.
Distinctive Physical Features
Leaf-footed bugs have some defining physical traits that give them their common name:
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Triangle shape – Their body is broad at the top and tapers to a point, creating a triangular outline.
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Long legs – Their legs are noticeably elongated especially the hind pair.
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Flattened expansions on legs – The tibia (lower leg segment) has flattened, leaf-like expansions
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Wings – As adults, they have fully formed wings laying flat over the abdomen when at rest. Nymphs have undeveloped wings.
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Colors – Can range from reddish-brown to grayish-brown with distinctive markings. Some have brightly colored hind legs.
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Size – Adults reach 1 to 1.5 inches in length.
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Antennae – Short, four-segmented antennae are present.
Common Species
There are over 2,000 species of leaf-footed bugs. Some types you may encounter include:
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Western conifer seed bug – Common invader of homes in fall/winter.
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Brown marmorated stink bug – Agricultural pest and home invader.
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Squash bug – Damages squash and pumpkin plants.
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Red-shouldered bug – Feeds on tomatoes, grapes, other fruits.
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Western tarnished plant bug – Agricultural pest of multiple crops.
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Acanthocephala terminalis – Feeds on deciduous trees and shrubs.
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Jalysus wickhami – Feeds on fruits, vegetables, and pecans.
Behavior and Habits
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Leaf-footed bugs are primarily plant feeders that suck nutrients from stems, leaves, seeds, and fruits of many species.
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They can be agricultural pests damaging crops. Some also invade homes through cracks and crevices.
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Most species produce a strong odor from scent glands when disturbed or crushed.
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They go through incomplete metamorphosis with egg, nymph, and adult stages. Nymphs resemble small wingless adults.
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Many produce vibrational mating calls by drumming abdomens against plant surfaces.
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Most species overwinter as adults in protected sites like under plant debris or loose bark.
Significance to Humans
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Leaf-footed bugs can be nuisance invaders of homes and damaging pests to crops.
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However, most species are harmless to humans, pets, and structures. They do not spread diseases or bite.
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Their ability to produce foul odors when crushed can make inadvertent indoor infestations unpleasant.
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Outside, they help suppress pest populations by feeding on insects like caterpillars and beetles.
Prevention and Control
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Seal cracks and crevices around the home to prevent entry by occasional invaders.
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Inspect window and door screens for holes and gaps and repair as needed.
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Use exclusion techniques like sealing attic vents, chimney flues, and exterior gaps in fall to keep overwintering bugs out.
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Vacuum or sweep up indoor invaders carefully without crushing to avoid odors.
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Discard any crushed bugs immediately outside after placing in sealed bags.
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Limit outdoor lighting at night during summer/fall migration periods.
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Work with agricultural extension agents if species become problematic crop pests.
Spotting a triangle-shaped bug with wings can pique your interest about exactly what crawler is visiting your space. A closer look at physical details helps identify if it is a leaf-footed visitor. Learning about their traits and habits allows you to coexist safely with these peculiar insects.
What Do Stink Bugs Look Like?
Stink bugs are characterized as both “large, oval-shaped insects” and “shield-shaped insects. ” Adult stink bugs can reach almost 2 cm in length. They are nearly as wide as they are long. Their legs extend from the sides, making adult stink bugs appear even larger. The brown marmorated stink bug is a brownish stink bug. It has lighter bands on the antennae and darker bands on the wings.
Immature stink bugs, called nymphs, are very tiny when they hatch from their eggs. Nymphs of the brown marmorated stink bug are yellow and red. As they grow, the yellow fades to white. They have bright red eyes during the nymph stage of their life cycle. The nymphs molt or shed their skin five times. Each time a stink bug nymph molts, it becomes larger. By the last molt, the nymphs are almost as large as adult stink bugs. Stink Bug Odor.
Stink bugs get their name from the unpleasant odor they produce when they are threatened. It is thought that this odor helps protect the bugs against predators. The stink bugs produce the smelly chemical in a gland on their abdomen. Some species can actually spray the chemical several inches. The smell has often been compared to strong herbs and spices like cilantro and coriander.
It’s interesting that the smell comes from chemicals that are often added to food and are found in cilantro. This smell can last for hours, so try not to squash stink bugs if you can help it. If they get into your home, carefully sweep or vacuum them up. Stink Bug Habits.
Stink bugs get their name from the unpleasant odor they produce when they are threatened. It is thought that this odor helps protect the bugs against predators. The stink bugs produce the smelly chemical in a gland on their abdomen. Some species can actually spray the chemical several inches. The smell has often been compared to strong herbs and spices like cilantro and coriander.
It’s interesting that the smell comes from chemicals that are often added to food and are found in cilantro. This smell can last for hours, so try not to squash stink bugs if you can help it. If they get into your home, carefully sweep or vacuum them up. Do Stink Bugs Fly?.
Yes, stink bugs can fly. When they land, the adults fold their wings over their bodies. Nymphs do not have fully developed wings. The wings appear when the nymph becomes an adult. It is possible to tell that a stink bug is an adult by its fully developed wings. If it can fly, it is an adult. How Can Stink Bugs Impact You?.
Native to Asia, stink bugs were accidentally introduced into the United States sometime during the late 1990s. America isn’t where stink bugs came from, so they don’t have any natural enemies here. This means they can spread very quickly. Many parts of the country are now infested with stink bugs, which are especially dangerous for agriculture because they destroy crops. Stink bugs are more of a bother than a threat to people, but they can hurt gardens, ornamental plants, and fruit trees. They do not cause structural damage or spread disease.
Does stink bugs bite? No, stink bugs don’t bite and probably won’t bite, but you should be careful when handling them to keep them from giving off their very bad smell. There are piercing and sucking parts on a stink bug’s mouth, but it doesn’t feed on blood like mosquitoes, biting flies, and bed bugs do. Their mouths are not structured in a way that enables them to bite through human skin. Most species of stink bugs feed on plants. They suck the juice from leaves, stems and roots of plants. They attack everything from ornamental plants to weeds. The insects pierce the skin of the plant and extract the juice inside. If you find stink bugs in your home, don’t try to get rid of them yourself. Instead, call a pest control professional, also called an exterminator. Signs of an Infestation.
In late summer and early fall, when the weather starts to cool down, stink bugs are often found inside homes. Finding large numbers of live or dead stink bugs is a telltale sign of an infestation. Stink bugs will turn up on sunny sides of homes where they warm themselves. Growers often detect an infestation by the damage they cause to their crops.
If stink bugs have taken over your home or building, you should call a licensed pest control professional to look at the problem and give you advice on how to get rid of them. The professional will get rid of this invasive species from your home and help you figure out how it got there in the first place. Stink Bug Control and Prevention.
Homeowners can take several steps to prevent a stink bug infestation in their home. Some things that can be done are to seal cracks around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, behind chimneys, under the wood fascia, and other openings. If you want to know where stink bugs come from, they usually enter through door and window frames, electrical outlets, light switches, ceiling fans, skylights, and ceiling light fixtures. Use a good quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk. Damaged screens on doors and windows should be repaired or replaced. Stink bugs are attracted to light, so change exterior lighting to less-attractive yellow bulbs or sodium vapor lights. If you need to get rid of stink bugs that are already inside a building or home, a vacuum cleaner can help get rid of both live and dead stink bugs. The bag must be discarded to prevent odor from permeating the area. If stink bugs get into a building, it’s best to keep them out of the room or rooms that are affected by them. It’s best not to try to get rid of sting bugs on your own because they can release an odor that attracts other stink bugs. If there is an infestation inside the building or home, you should call a licensed pest control professional to look at the problem. A professional can also treat for stink bugs ahead of time in the late summer or fall, before the bugs start to gather. How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs.
The best thing to do if you think stink bugs are in your home is to call a licensed pest control professional. They will conduct a thorough inspection to identify the full extent of the problem. Once the situation is properly identified, the appropriate control measures can be taken.
You can find a certified pest professional near you with the helpful zip code search below.
What are Stink Bugs and Where Do They Come From?
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) gets its name from the smell it gives off when it is squished or moved. These traits are shared by many other bugs, such as some species of ants, beetles, and other bugs. However, you can tell a stink bug from another by its unique shape: its top is flatter and ends in a point, like a shield. Additionally, stink bugs can fly and are pretty good at it!.
Stink bugs are considered an invasive species, meaning a pest of foreign origin. What country do stink bugs come from? They were first brought to the US from East Asia in the mid-1990s. Their native range includes China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. They are also referred to as the yellow-brown or East Asian stink bug.
In the United States, stink bugs were first found in Allentown, PA, in the fall of 1996. However, they weren’t officially recognized or named until September 2001. They quickly spread to the east, first to New Jersey and then to Virginia by 2004. Now they’ve moved south to the border with North Carolina. Brown marmorated stink bugs have been found in 44 states and the District of Columbia. They are most common in the mid-Atlanta area right now. Find out about stink bugs, including how to spot an infestation and how to get rid of them, by reading on.
Viktor Grebennikov – Anti-Gravity & Levitation
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