Subject: weird bug in Virginia
Location: Southwest Virginia, on the border of Smyth & Wythe counties
June 4, 2015 12:46 pm
Bugman, I was sitting on a chair in the yard of our farmland in southwest Virginia when I noticed this bug on my knee. He moved slooooowly and his feet were really stuck to my pants. I’ve never seen this kind of bug before. What is it?
Signature: Lilli, not like the flower
Dear Lilli,
This is some species of Treehopper in the family Membracidae, and many members have spinelike or leaflike protuberances on their dorsal surfaces that help to camouflage them when they are feeding on plants. The closest match we could find on BugGuide is this image of Helonica excelsa.