Giant Agave Bug

Subject:  One-legged or injured bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Sierra Vista Az
Date: 09/09/2021
Time: 07:20 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  9/9/21 About 8 am – this fascinating bug was on a small geranium plant in filtered light. It appears to have one back leg – injured? Moving the plant to brighter light for a better photo caused bug to crawl under a leaf. Back in filtered light it left a ‘deposit’ (poop? eggs?) as it crawled to a higher leaf.
How you want your letter signed:  Tommy and Julia

Giant Agave Bug

Dear Tommy and Julia,
This is a Giant Agave Bug, Acanthocephala thomasi, and you can compare your image to this image from BugGuide.  According to BugGuide:  “Males have greatly swollen hind femora bearing at least one large spike; females have slender hind femora bearing several small spikes.”  Based on this BugGuide image of a mating pair, we believe your individual is not a female and the deposit on your other image is not an egg.

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