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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Pentatomomorpha » Leatherbugs (Coreoidea) » Leaf-footed Bugs (Coreidae)

Family Coreidae - Leaf-footed Bugs

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited
Bugs Mating - Chelinidea vittiger plant bug - Phthiacnemia picta Bug Eggs Leaf-footed Bug - Acanthocephala terminalis plant bug ? bright green, black markings - Mozena arizonensis Arizona True Bug for ID - Chelinidea Assassin Bug - Acanthocephala declivis Swollen Hind Femora Leaffooted Bug - Ventral - Acanthocephala femorata - 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)
Other Common Names
Squash Bugs, Coreids
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Classification and nomenclature in the Guide follows(1)
Explanation of Names
Coreidae Leach 1815
from Coreus (G). 'a bug' (2)
Numbers
88 spp. in 33 genera in our area(3), just over 1,000 spp. in 165 genera in the New World(4), close to 2,000 spp. in ~270 genera worldwide(5)
Overview of our fauna
Family COREIDAE
Subfamily Coreinae
Tribe Acanthocephalini
Genus Acanthocephala

Tribe Acanthocerini
Genera Acanthocerus · Euthochtha · Sagotylus
Acanthocerus Euthochtha Sagotylus
Tribe Anisoscelini
Genera Anisoscelis · Chondrocera · Dalmatomammurius · Leptoglossus · Narnia · Phthiacnemia
Anisoscelis Chondrocera Dalmatomammurius Leptoglossus Narnia Phthiacnemia
Tribe Chariesterini
Genus Chariesterus

Tribe Chelinideini
Genus Chelinidea

Tribe Coreini
Genera Althos · Anasa · Catorhintha · Centrocoris · Cimolus · Hypselonotus · Madura · Namacus · Nisoscolopocerus · Scolopocerus · Sethenira · Vazquezitocoris · Villasitocoris · Zicca
Althos Anasa CatorhinthaCentrocoris Cimolus Hypselonotus Madura NamacusNisoscolopocerus Scolopocerus Sethenira Vazquezitocoris Villasticoris Zicca
Tribe Discogastrini
Genus Savius

Tribe Nematopini
Genera Mamurius · Mozena · Piezogaster · Thasus
Mamurius Mozena Piezogaster Thasus
Tribe Spartocerini
Genera Eubule · Sephina · Spartocera
EubuleSephina Spartocera
Subfamily Meropachyinae
Tribe Merocorini
Genus Merocoris

Subfamily Pseudophloeinae
Genera Ceraleptus · Coriomeris
Ceraleptus Coriomeris
Size
7‒40 mm, typically 10‒20 mm; in our area up to 30 mm
Identification
antenna 4-segmented • ocelli present • beak 4-segmented • membrane with many veins • tarsi 3-segmented • head narrower than and often shorter than the pronotum
metatibiae in some have leaf-like expansions (e.g., Acanthocephala, Leptoglossus); in some (e.g., Chariesterus) antenna similarly expanded
Charcteristic coreid details shown by Leptoglossus oppositus:

Keys: subfamilies/tribes(6) • FL spp.(7)
Range
cosmopolitan, most diverse in warmer climes
Food
plant juices
Life Cycle
Eggs typically cemented under leaves. One or more generations per year. Adults sometimes overwinter.
Remarks
A few species are agricultural pests
Often parasitized by tachinids (examples)
Print References
Mitchell, P.L. (1980). Host plant utilization by leaf-footed bugs: an investigation of generalist feeding strategy. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Texas at Austin. 226 pp.
Works Cited
1.Livermore L.J.R., Lemaître V.A., Dolling W.R., Webb M.D. Coreoidea species file online. Version 5.0
2.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.
3.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.
4.Catalog of the Coreidae, or Leaf-Footed Bugs, of the New World
Richard Packauskas. 2010. Fort Hays State University.
5.Biodiversity of the Heteroptera
Henry T.J. 2009. In: Foottit R.G., Adler P.H., eds. Insect biodiversity: Science and society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell: 223−263.
6.Key to the subfamilies and tribes of the New World Coreidae (Hemiptera) with a checklist of published keys to genera and species
Packauskas R.J. 1994. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 96: 44‒53.
7.Coreidae of Florida (Hemiptera, Heteroptera).
Baranowski, R.M. and J.A. Slater. 1986. Arthropods of Florida and Neighboring Land Areas. Vol. 12, no. 630. viii + 82 pp.
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, drswanny, David Ferguson, JohnMaxwell22, v belov, KenW
Last updated 4 July, 2025 - 6:30pm

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