Odd-looking bug, anybody recognize it?

[bob prohaska]

Does anybody recognize the insect in these photos?

bug, slightly different pose. The "flag" on the hind legs seemed distinctive.

Three of them turned up on a patch of alfalfa plants I'm trying as a groundcover. Their movements were what caught my attention; very deliberate and stately, almost like those of a mantis.

I tried looking through various alfalfa pest galleries, but nothing came close and I'm not at all sure these are pests. I didn't see them feeding and their behavior seemed more like an ambush predator than a prey species.

First noticed them a couple days ago, when one stuck around it seemed worth a picture or two.

Thanks for reading,

bob prohaska

[hubops]

leaf footed bug

John T.

[songbird]

sorry, can't id that bug, but they look similar to some others i've seen. :)

alfalfa does not work as a ground cover, the plants give off chemicals which will keep others from sprouting too close to them so you won't ever get a complete stand plus they don't grow that close to the ground so other plants can invade. in a mix of other plants they're ok, but they're not great. birdsfoot trefoil will take over an area and will mix with other plants too, and if you get the wilder kind that you can find it will grow closer to the ground. however once it's planted it will be hard to remove. i planted an agricultural variety here and it was too tall and too invasive so i've had to remove it. much fun. :)

i don't think they are either.

songbird

[bob prohaska]

Looks like a match. Unfortunate that they're likely trouble.

Thank you!

bob prohaska

[David E. Ross]

See

. In the photo gallery at the end of that page, the right-most photo in the first row strongly resembles your photos.