Giant Agave Bug vs Leaf-footed Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Agave Bug Leaf-footed Bug
Scientific Name Acanthocephala thomasi Leptoglossus occidentalis
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Coreidae Coreidae
Size 20-30 mm 16-20 mm
Habitat Heathland Orchards
Diet Sap Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions North America, Mexico North America, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Agave Bug

A large coreid bug from the southwestern US and Mexico that feeds on agave and cacti. Males have impressively swollen hind femora used in combat.

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Did You Know?

Males use their muscular hind legs like clubs, wrestling rival males off branches to win mating rights.

Leaf-footed Bug

A medium to large brown bug with a distinctive white zigzag band across the wings and flattened, leaf-like expansions on the hind tibiae. It feeds on developing conifer seeds.

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Did You Know?

Originally native to western North America, this bug has rapidly invaded Europe since 1999, spreading across the entire continent in just two decades.