Leaf-footed Bug vs Glassy-winged Sharpshooter

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Leaf-footed Bug Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
Scientific Name Leptoglossus occidentalis Homalodisca vitripennis
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Coreidae Cicadellidae
Size 16-20 mm 12-14 mm
Habitat Orchards Woodlands
Diet Seed Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions North America, Europe Southeastern US, California, introduced to Tahiti and Hawaii
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Glassy-winged Sharpshooter

A large leafhopper that spreads Pierce's disease bacteria devastating to grapevines. It feeds on xylem sap and can process 300 times its body weight in fluid daily.

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Did You Know?

It excretes so much liquid while feeding that it produces a fine rain beneath infested plants.