Acanthocephala declivis, the giant leaf-footed bug, is a species of North American true bug with a range from the southern United States to El Salvador and some Caribbean islands.[1][2] It is the largest of this genus within this range, generally growing to be 28 to 34 mm (1.1 to 1.3 in) long.[3] It can be distinguished from similar species by its much more broadly expanding pronotum, which extends much further than the abdomen, and the blunt tubercles on the midline of the anterior pronotal lobe, which is not present in other Acantla species within its range.[4]
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dorsal view -
lateral view
| Acanthocephala declivis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Coreidae |
| Genus: | Acanthocephala |
| Species: | A. declivis
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| Binomial name | |
| Acanthocephala declivis (Say, 1832)
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One specific characteristic about Acanthocephala declivis is that sexual competition by males pertaining to this species depends on their hind leg dimorphism. They use their legs to squeeze other males when competing for sexual partners. The length and diameter of the large tooth and femur of their hind legs are noticeably larger than the rest of their bodies, proportionally speaking. Females, on the other hand, don’t have these exceptionally large hind legs, although they also use them for mating aggression.[5]
References
edit- ^ Blatchley, W. S. (1926). Heteroptera or True bug of Eastern North America. Indianapolis: The Nature Publishing Company. pp. 214–215. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ Nendick-Mason, Hannah (12 July 2019) [Originally published 15 November 2005]. "Species Acanthocephala declivis". BugGuide. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ Henry, Thomas J.; Froeschner, Richard C. (1988). Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs of Canada and the Continental United States. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 0-916846-44-X.
- ^ "Identifying insects beyond Family". University of Florida. Archived from the original on 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
- ^ Eberhard, William G. (1998). "Sexual Behavior of Acanthocephala declivis guatemalana (Hemiptera: Coreidae) and the Allometric Scaling of their Modified Hind Legs". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 91 (6): 863–871. doi:10.1093/aesa/91.6.863.
External links
edit- Acanthocephala declivis at BugGuide.net
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