What are these desert insects?

May 19, 2009 9:25 AM

What are these two (possibly male and female) insects? Here are two pictures of each.

These insects are about 4-cm long and are on a Century Plant bloom stem. Anyone have any idea what they are? Thanks for any and all responses.

- Dave

posted by metadave to science & nature (4 comments total)

They look like leaf-footed bugs.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:32 AM on May 19

They are leaf-footed bugs, genus Acanthocephala, possibly Acanthocephala terminatus.
posted by bolognius maximus at 10:08 AM on May 19

Thanks to both of you who answered (so far). I appreciate both the picture and the genus identification.
posted by metadave at 11:40 AM on May 19

I've seen these several times in San Antonio. That is a Giant Agave Bug, specifically Acanthocephala thomasi. Here's another, with some more info.
posted by sanka at 2:13 PM on May 19