Our friend Courtney Reece of the WOLF School sent us a great set of macro photographs that sent me into a search mode. The setting is the stems of brown-eyed Susan and other flowers in her yard. Although I have more questions than answers, they are too good not to share. I will start with the beautiful leaf hopper above. This is distinctive enough to identify as a lateral-lined sharpshooter,
Cuerna costalis. "Black and red with longitudinal stripes on
forewing; a conspicuous white stripe runs from the eye along the side of
the abdomen; tip of abdomen with red spot. The only species in the genus with red on legs."
Bugguide
 |
| Are my hairy legs are sexy? |
Leafhoppers are hemiptera, equipped with mouth parts to penetrate and suck nutrition from plants. The nymphs resemble adults and mature to adulthood without a pupal phase (incomplete metamorphosis). A pair of simple eyes are located on top of their heads. They have wings which are held close to their bodies and their powerful hind legs are modified for jumping. The legs are covered with hairs which they use to spread water repellent secretions on their bodies as well as pheromones to attract the opposite sex.
Sharpshooters are the largest leafhoppers in the family Cicadellidae. They were first named because of the tiny "bullet hole" they leave in the stem by their sucking mouth parts and their ability to shoot liquid out their rear ends. They also escape predators by darting around to the back side of the stem like a soldier would. They feed on nutrient poor xylem and have to process a lot of fluid to get the nutrition needed for reproduction. They have a very efficient digestive tract but must excrete tremendous volumes of water. "Sharpshooters have been recorded to consume, process, and
excrete 17 ml per day. That is the
equivalent of a person drinking nearly 400 gallons of water!"
Entnemdept.ufl.edu
 |
| Freshly emerged nymphs |
Courtney also photographed these freshly emerged nymphs before they had taken on their colors. We can't prove that they are the same species but there are lots of examples online and she found the exuvia or skins they emerged from.
 |
| Brochosomes on stem |
"Sharpshooters develop through a gradual incomplete metamorphosis. Females insert
their eggs into plant
tissue, usually leaves, with a sharp knifelike structure called an
ovipositor (a structure that deposits eggs). Several species of
sharpshooters produce a white chalky material known as brochosomes that
is placed on the wing covers. After the eggs have been deposited into
the plant, females then scrape this material to "powder" the area.
Entnemdept.ufl.edu
 |
| Space creature? - Click to enlarge |
My favorite picture was this one, a white fuzzy
creature that resembles a wax covered alien. There seems to be a little
indentation or hole in the side and I thought it might be an exuvia (shed) but she tells me she could see it was alive. I am
open to any suggestions but like mine best. "ET call home".
 |
Ready. Aim. FIRE! - Ben Caruthers
|
Ben Caruthers caught this one midair as it shot.
