Bug FAQEastern Leaf-footed Bug
Leptoglossus phyllopus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Coreidae
Also called: Banded Leaf-footed Plant Bug
Source: Wikipedia
The eastern leaf-footed bug feeds on plant juices and can hurt many garden and field crops. Adults are hard to control with pesticides, but the bright orange nymphs are vulnerable.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults resist most pesticides, while the orange nymph stage is more vulnerable.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
They can become a nuisance in gardens by feeding on many vegetables and beans.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
When handled they release a foul odor.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Use trap crops, hand-picking, or baited traps with methyl (E, Z)-2,4-decadienoate to reduce numbers.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are common garden insects that attack many crops and seed plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They pierce plant tissue and suck the juices, making them tolerant of ingested chemicals.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are pesticide-resistant; nymphs are bright orange and more susceptible.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found across the southern United States, Mexico and down to Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee.
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
How can I get rid of them in my garden?
Plant trap crops, pick off nymphs and adults by hand, and use baited traps with methyl (E, Z)-2,4-decadienoate.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do they damage?
They feed on cotton, peaches, tomatoes, beans, black-eyed peas and sorghum, among other crops.
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
Giant leaf-footed bugAcanthocephala declivis
Northern Leaf-Footed BugLeptoglossus oppositusSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptoglossus_phyllopus
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.