The Acorn Woodpecker that showed up recently at Mountain View Cemetery in Boulder is generating lots of interest from birders. Todd Deininger of Longmont was kind enough to share a few photos of the bird with something in its beak. I thought those of you who have seen the bird might be interested in what it ate for at least one meal. It obviously has other food issues figured out, too. I know from having led “what birds eat” field trips in that cemetery that it has some fine oak trees. In the right year, those oaks probably have lots of acorns.
The insect in Todd’s photo is a leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae, genus Leptoglossus. There are multiple species in this genus in Colorado, but it is probably L. occidentalis (common name Western Conifer Seed Bug). It inserts its long needlelike mouthpart, called a stylet, in the seeds of pines and other conifers. These bugs are reported to also feed on the moist fruits of other woody plants. I have long suspected they poke juniper cones (“berries”), as I see a lot of these insects associated with Rocky Mountain Juniper. Below at left is Todd’s photo, highly cropped. Note the wide “calf” (tibia) expansion on each hind leg that is leaflike and gives the group its name. At right is a photo of a leaf-footed bug (Leptoglossus sp.) from a pine tree on the Baca County Courthouse grounds, Springfield, CO. I wager anyone who has spent considerable time outside paying attention to anything other than their Merlin app has seen these.
Thanks to Todd for sharing his observation. If anybody else sees this bird eat something interesting, please take a pic and send it to me. Thanks.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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