Western Conifer Seed Bug

This leggy character was planning to move indoors for the winter. Laurie found him on the curtains this morning.


He's handsome enough, but...

He and his family have been feasting on our trees all summer. Which was not appreciated. So, no, we are not extending our hospitality to cover the winter, as well. Sorry, guy.

From Cornell U., I learn that,

The leaf-footed bugs use piercing sucking mouthparts to pierce the scales of conifer seeds and suck out the seed pulp. The list of host plants includes white pine, red pine, Scotch pine, Austrian pine, mugo pine, white spruce, Douglas fir and hemlock. Often these trees are planted or are growing near homes, and if that is the case, the bugs may seek the nearby buildings as an overwintering site.

...

In spring these bugs move out of doors to coniferous trees nearby. The bugs feed on the developing seeds and early flowers of different species of conifers. Females are reported to lay rows of eggs on needles of the host trees, which hatch in about 10 days. Young nymphs then begin to feed on tender cone scales and sometimes the needles. The nymphs are orange and brown, becoming reddish-brown to brown as they develop. Nymphs pass through five stages and reach adulthood by late August. Adults feed on ripening seed until they seek overwintering quarters.

See that long tube down his belly, 3/4 of his entire length? That's the business end of his "piercing sucking mouthparts". Eep.

Iowa State U. tells me that,

This sap feeding is of no consequence to otherwise healthy trees.

Well, maybe. But we have a couple of new conifers that have been struggling this summer. Dropping needles, failing to thrive. So, Leptoglossus occidentalis, you are being relocated. Elsewhere.