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Photo#538174
Winged black bug found on sunflowers and tomato plants - Leptoglossus phyllopus

Winged black bug found on sunflowers and tomato plants - Leptoglossus phyllopus
Orange Park, Clay County, FL (northeast Florida) County, Florida, USA
July 1, 2011
Size: 1"
Creepy winged bugs, I think suck juice from tomatoes and sunflowers.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Image cropped for placement in the Guide.

Leptoglossus phyllopus


According to the Guide, "This bug is particularly noted as a pest on citrus, on which it causes premature fruit drop, but also known to damage many other crops and ornamental plants."

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Leaf-Footed Bug...
This appears to be a member of the Leaf-Footed Bug family. They do feed on plants, though it usually takes a large number of them to cause damage. Relatives of theirs, known as Assassin Bugs, may prove helpful in controlling numbers. Otherwise, we do not give pest control advice. I just stick to the notion when there is too much prey in the garden, you need some predators.

Some species can be quite large and colorful, and their nymphs are often colored in crazy tones such as indigo, red or yellow. Both young and adults can bite if carelessly handled, but it's in self defense.