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| Green Stink Bug |
A student found this on the WOLF School field trip to Bull Mills and announced "I caught a mosquito!" My first guess was crane fly, but I wasn't even close. This is a stilt bug, aka thread bug, a member of the Berytidae family of Hemiptera or true bugs. With their slender bodies and thin legs I would never have guessed they are related to other Hemiptera like stink bugs.
In addition to their svelte physique they have several distinguishing characteristics. Their femurs (the leg segment nearest the body) have a swelling at the distal end. Also their antennae are geniculate (elbowed - your word for the day) and have a slightly bulbous tip seen below.
Very little is known about their habits. Although they are said to be common on plants in the spring, most are less than a half inch long, have little color and move slowly so they are hard to see. While many are thought to be plant eaters, especially those plants with sweet hairs, some may be omnivores, eating plant bugs and their eggs.*
Despite the mosquito-like appearance they don't sting, bite or land on us deliberately. Incredibly, they are said to overwinter as adults, without a drop of insulating fat on their body! Googling 80 links didn't bring up any more details so I suggest you simply enjoy the pictures.
* The Bug Lady at UWM.edu Field station
Shelly covered them at MoBugs in 2010.