Merocoris distinctus

Stout, warty leaf-footed bugs spend their days camouflaged among old-field vegetation, using piercing-sucking mouthparts to draw sap from flowering weeds and shrubs. Unlike many larger, flattened relatives, their compact bodies feature heavily swollen, spine-studded hind femora and a rough, dirt-brown texture that mimics dried seeds or plant debris. When disturbed, adults either drop directly into dense ground cover or take buzzing flight to adjacent stalks.