South American Leaf-Footed Bug vs Neotropical Backswimmer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute South American Leaf-Footed Bug Neotropical Backswimmer
Scientific Name Leptoglossus zonatus Buenoa antigone
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Coreidae Notonectidae
Size 15-20 mm 5-9 mm
Habitat Orchards Ponds & Lakes
Diet Seed Feeders Omnivores
Regions Americas from the United States through Argentina Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

South American Leaf-Footed Bug

A brown coreid bug with expanded leaf-like hind tibiae and a pale zigzag band across the forewings. It is a significant pest of corn, citrus, and pomegranates.

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Did You Know?

Its flattened hind leg expansions may serve to mimic leaf fragments or to intimidate rivals during territorial displays.

Neotropical Backswimmer

A small aquatic bug that swims upside-down using its long oar-like hind legs. Its pale ventral surface provides camouflage when viewed from below against the sky.

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Did You Know?

It carries a silvery air bubble on its belly that functions like a physical gill, extracting dissolved oxygen from the water.