Giant Agave Bugs,
Acanthocephala thomasi, are true bugs with piercing and sucking mouth parts, unlike beetles, which have chewing mouth parts. As the name suggests, Giant Agave Bugs feed exclusively on Agaves. Adults are in the 3-4 cm range, and fly when adequately disturbed. We encounter these with some regularity out in habitat, and if one makes its way to your outdoor collection, you might consider keeping a close eye, but leaving it be. They are usually found in very small numbers, often just one or two bugs per group of plants, resulting in minimal damage that is offset to some degree by their interesting appearance and behavior. If things start going south, they are large and easy to spot, thus easily removed.
OTOH, the following field note suggests a capacity for inflicting severe damage to Agave
blooms:
Field Notes 06/21/2016 wrote:We also learned something interesting today. We had always thought Acanthocephala thomasi (Giant Agave Bug) infestations fairly innocuous. A little leaf damage here and there, but generally far less than similar damage from
running bugs. Well, today we learned that Giant Agave Bugs can severely hamper or even prevent Agaves from developing seed. These bugs are large, far too large to reach nectar in Agave flowers without first mowing down filaments that hold pollen producing anthers. They do this utterly and completely, denying infested plants the opportunity to produce pollen. Pistils remain unmolested but deprived of pollen.
Giant Agave Bug (Acanthocephala thomasi)
Mating
Juvenile
JuvenileAgave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
