I'm new to Texas (relatively), new to gardening and therefore, really new to bugs. What the heck is this thing? I never saw anything like this in CA, but of course I wasn't looking then. It's on my Clematis plant, which is still a baby and doesn't have any flowers yet. I don't see any damage yet, but this bug looks icky to me. This is the closest-up I can get with my camera. Any more zoom and it goes blurry. Anybody know what this is? Good or bad?
That is a Leaf-footed Bug (Leptoglossus zonatus): http://bugguide.net/node/view/56813
Food
Feeds on flowers and fruits of many plants, including many crops such as citrus, tomatoes, and various members of the squash family.
Remarks
Considered a pest not only for the feeding damage on various crops but also as a transmitter of plant pathogens.
Thank you! I had just found something online and come to that conclusion, but glad to see it confirmed. I will certainly add it to the bug files.
Everything I am finding says it feeds on food crops. I don't have anything like that - just regular garden plants. Do I need to worry about them? Will they eat my clematis? Any suggestions on how to get rid of them, if so?
they don't actually eat the plant; they suck the life out of it, especially the new growth. i hate them and they love my roses. i prowl my garden with a kitchen tongs and sneak up behind them, grab them and squish them. in enough numbers (like i had last year) they will really do a number on the garden.
