Leptoglossus phyllopus
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Leptoglossus phyllopus or eastern leaf-footed bug is a species of leaf-footed bugs in the same genus as the western conifer seed bug (L. occidentalis). The eastern leaf-footed bug is found throughout the southern United States, from Florida to California, through Mexico, and as far south as Costa Rica.
These bugs are a common garden insect which may damage a wide variety of crops including cotton, peaches and tomatoes, and seeds such as beans, black-eyed peas and sorghum. Like other bugs L. phyllopus suck juices from plants by puncturing them with their sucking mouth parts, making them resistant to ingested pesticides. A toxin is injected into the plant when piercing its skin, causing discoloration and hard spots on fruits. The adult bugs are highly resistant to pesticides; however, they are vulnerable in their bright orange nymph stage. Trap crops can be used to lure them away from desired plants and to encourage predator populations, and in small garden plots handpicking, the use of trap crops, and bug traps baited with methyl (E, Z)-2,4-decadienoate can be effective controls.
Acetosyringone is produced by the male leaffooted bug and used in its communication system. Leptoglossus phyllopus emits a foul odor when it is handled Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Leaf-Footed Bug sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 58th most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Leaf-Footed Bug in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and September, the lowest months. That is one of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 210 mm in September.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Leaf-Footed Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Eastern Leaf-Footed Bug sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 10%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Coreidae
The closest relatives of the Eastern Leaf-Footed Bug that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Coreidae, Leaf-footed Bugs) are Florida Leaf-Footed Bug (about 10%) and Giant Milkweed Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Leaf-Footed Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (22 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
