Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Clickable Guide

Interactive image map to choose major taxa Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

Upcoming Events

National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Species Acanthocephala thomasi - Giant Agave Bug

Representative Images

Giant Agave Bug - Acanthocephala thomasi Bug - Acanthocephala thomasi dark brown & black beetle type bug with orange tipped anteni - Acanthocephala thomasi Unknown leaf-footed bug - Acanthocephala thomasi Acanthocephala thomasi Acanthocephala thomasi or A. confraterna? - Acanthocephala thomasi Acanthocephala thomasi nymph? - Acanthocephala thomasi Male, Acanthocephala thomasi? - Acanthocephala thomasi - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Infraorder Pentatomomorpha
Superfamily Coreoidea (Leatherbugs)
Family Coreidae (Leaf-footed Bugs)
Subfamily Coreinae
Tribe Acanthocephalini
Genus Acanthocephala
Species thomasi (Giant Agave Bug)

Explanation of Names

Acanthocephala thomasi (Uhler 1872)

Size

24-31 mm(1)

Identification

Apical segment of antennae bright orange, remaining segments dark; metatibial flange parallel-sided and extending the length of tibia; humeral angles relatively small (greatly expanded in A. declivis); this combination of 3 characters is diagnostic. Males have greatly swollen hind femora bearing at least one large spike; females have slender hind femora bearing several small spikes.

Det. Salvador Vitanza, 2021

Range

sw. US (se.CA to c.TX) - Map (1)(2)

Season

Apr-Oct in NM(1)

Works Cited

1.Review of Acanthocephala (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae) of America north of Mexico with a key to species
McPherson J.E., Packauskas R.J., Sites R.W., Taylor S.J., Bundy C.S., Bradshaw J.D., Mitchell P.L. 2011. Zootaxa 2835: 30-40.
2.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 1 May, 2005 - 4:05pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Mike Quinn, drswanny, David Ferguson, v belov
Last updated 11 December, 2024 - 2:48pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact