Cyclops!? Unicorn!?
Location: Google Maps: -23.436464,-46.746075, no Street View at this location
August 29, 2011 5:57 am
Hi, Bugman, it’s my first entry!
Hey, man I shot some little bugs with a single horn and a something that of course it’s not, but seems to be one single eye.
We can see the abdomen and the true eyes of the cute green immature ones, and they seem to be a cicada with a horn on the back. But the adults have the wings grown so we cannot see they’re body.
They’re brown and seem to be a protuberance in the plant. The ants seem to be atracted by them, but they can not or don’t want to do anything to them. They’re parasiting a bean-like plant we call it ”FEIJÃO ANDU”. They’re abble to jump-and-fly like a gunshot, but they prefer to be immoble all the time. Sorry for the bad english.
Signature: Cesar Crash (Brazil)
Hi Cesar,
These are Treehoppers in the family Membracidae, and they are categorized with Cicadas in the superfamily Cicadoidea. They exude a substance called honeydew that attracts the ants. If Treehoppers are numerous, their feeding habit of sucking plant nutrients can be injurious to the host. It is also possible that they might spread a viral disease to the plant host.
Wow, man! You’re really good in your job, huh? When I grow up, I just wanna be just like you!
I’m happy to see how I was able to figure out they’re related to cicadas!
Searchin in google for membracidae, now I know it’s common name here in Brazil is “soldadinho”, wich means “little soldier”. It says that Nature Magazine published about them that these things on their back is a third pair of wings!
Thanx a lot, Dan Buggyman!
There is a PDF here that says that Enchenopa gracilis is the most common parasit of this plant. I think it matches with this creature.