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 answers total)
They look like leaf-footed bugs.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:32 AM on May 19, 2009


They are leaf-footed bugs, genus Acanthocephala, possibly Acanthocephala terminatus.
posted by bolognius maximus at 10:08 AM on May 19, 2009


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, 2009


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, 2009


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