Subject: What is this?
Location: Midwest. Elevation 5200
July 5, 2017 8:16 pm
Found this crawling on the stems of woody plants in my garden. Denver, CO. No clue what it is.
Signature: Caitlin
Dear Caitlin,
We hope helping you identify these immature Treehopper nymphs will benefit your “woody plants”. First, this does not look like a living insect, but rather it looks like the cast-off exoskeleton or exuvia that is left behind after metamorphosis. We believe this is a Buffalo Treehopper nymph in the genus Ceresa, which is pictured on BugGuide, or a closely related species. Like other members of the order Hemiptera, Buffalo Treehoppers have mouths designed to pierce and suck fluids, and if they are present in large numbers, they may have a significant negative impact on the health of your “woody plant” by depriving the plant of necessary fluids and nutrients for optimal development.
An immediate Facebook comment from Michael
HAHAHAHA “woody plant.” If that’s not a marijuana plant I’m the Pope.