Thread-legged Bugs – Emesaya spp.

Thread-legged Bugs

 

Latin Name: Emesaya brevipennis

Common Name: Thread-legged Bugs.

Appearance: It is the largest thread-legged insect having a length of 33-37 mm. It is a very slender insect that resembles a walking stick. It is covered with silver pubescence and has 3 pairs of legs. The front legs are raptorial used for capturing the prey while it walks on just the middle and hinge legs. It has 4 segmented antennae. They have short wings and a three-segmented beak.

Host Plants or Food: It is a general feeder that preys on a variety of insects that become entangled in the spider web.

Territory: North America. South America, Central America

Mode of Damage: They prey on different plant pests, so they are considered Beneficial Garden Insect

Habits and Life History:

• Thread legged bugs are usually found on trees or in orchards, dark places, old buildings, barns, or near spider webs.
• brevipennis undergoes simple metamorphosis without the pupal stage: Egg, Nymph, and Adult.
• Eggs are small and black, having a hook-like projection on the upper side. The lower side is smooth and rounded.
• Larvae develop through 5 instars of increasing size ranging from 5-33 mm and have a pale color. They resemble their adult very much.
• The last instar develops into adult Emesaya brevipennis.
• They have 2 generations in a year and are mostly active in May-December.