Diet

• Adults and nymphs: Primarily plant-feeding, using their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on seeds, fruits, pods and other plant tissues.

• Mozena has a particularly strong association with leguminous trees and shrubs, especially mesquite.

• Feeding is generally concentrated around developing seeds and pods, where the insects can obtain nutrient-rich plant material.

Range

• Mozena is a genus of leaf-footed bugs (Coreidae) in the subfamily Coreinae, tribe Nematopodini.

• The genus is distributed from the southwestern United States through Mexico and Central America into South America.

• Occasional to fairly common in Zihua, depending on species and habitat.

Habitat

• Particularly characteristic of tropical dry forest, thorn scrub, woodland, savanna and semi-arid vegetation.

• Adults can be found on branches, foliage, flowers and seed pods, while nymphs tend to remain close to their host plants.

• Around Zihua, likely habitats include dry forest, scrub, open woodland and areas containing native or cultivated leguminous trees.

Size

• Mozena species are generally medium-sized to large leaf-footed bugs, often around 12–20 mm long, depending on species.

• They have an elongated body and relatively long antennae and legs.

• The hind legs can have spines, angular expansions or other modifications, but they generally lack the dramatic leaf-like tibial expansions characteristic of Leptoglossus.

• Colouration varies considerably among species, including brown, reddish-brown, greyish and darkly marked forms.