Gardening Questions Answered
Strange looking bug?
What kind of bug is this on my pomegranate and some other ornamentals in my landscape?
Leaffooted bugs are medium to large sized insects that feed on fruits, fruiting vegetables, nuts, and ornamentals. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts that allow them to feed on plant parts, particularly seeds. Leaffooted bugs are in the family Coreidae and get their name from the small leaf-like enlargements found on the hind leg. They are closely related to other sucking insects, such as stink bugs (family Pentatomidae) that can also suck juices from plants.
Leaffooted bugs are a frequent and highly damaging pest of pomegranate. Adults are large insects, 0.75 to 1 inch (19–25 mm) in length. The three leaffooted bug species are similar in appearance; brown in color with a narrow white zigzag band across the back, although this band is less distinct in L. occidentalis. And L. zonatus has a round yellow-orange patch on each shoulder. The head appears pointed and the hind legs have an expanded area that superficially resembles a leaf, hence its name.