Bug FAQLarge-Legged Bug
Leptoglossus zonatus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Coreidae
Source: Wikipedia
Leptoglossus zonatus is about two centimeters long and gray with a distinctive whitish zigzag band and yellow spots on its pronotum. It breeds on pomegranate and desert willow trees, where bright orange nymphs gather, and it is a serious pest of many crops, transmitting plant pathogens.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The bug is gray with a whitish zigzag band across its back and two yellowish spots on the front of its pronotum.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It measures about two centimeters in length.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana has been effective against it.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It breeds on pomegranate and desert willow trees, where the bright orange nymphs gather in groups.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It feeds on many crops and can spread the plant pathogen Herpetomonas macgheei and the yeast Nematospora coryli.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The gregarious bright orange nymphs aggregate on host trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What crops does it damage?
It damages many crops, notably satsuma oranges and other plants in Brazil, and can transmit plant pathogens.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I control this bug?
Applying the fungus Beauveria bassiana can help control its populations.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Coreidae)
Western Conifer Seed BugLeptoglossus occidentalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Squash BugAnasa tristisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Dock BugCoreus marginatus
Acanthocephala terminalisAcanthocephala terminalisHarmless
Eastern Leaf-footed BugLeptoglossus phyllopusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Giant leaf-footed bugAcanthocephala declivisSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptoglossus_zonatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.