Leaf-footed bugs

There are over 1,900 species of leaf-footed bugs around the world, some 120 of them in Canada and the United States.

These bugs are much more abundant in the tropics, where they sport brighter colours and these remarkable leaf-shaped tibias. This special feature on the hind legs is more common among males, but it is found in both sexes of the very colourful Diactor bilineatus. The wide tibiae may serve to distract predators from the insect’s body, or to attract a mate.

Some authors call all leaf-footed bugs squash bugs. Except for actual squash bugs, the insects in this family have much too varied a diet, however, for this name to apply to all of them.

Western conifer seed bugs (Leptoglossus occidentalis) are among the most common leaf-footed bugs in our regions. They are sometimes found inside people’s homes in fall, when they seek shelter for the winter.