Jan 21, 2025
Coppery Leafhopper (Jikradia olitoria), female, taken August 24, 2024, in Georgia, US
Quite plain looking, but one of my favorite creatures in the life... This is a female leafhopper ovipositing (laying eggs) into the bark of an oak tree!
The ovipositors of Cicadomorphans (cicadas, leafhoppers, treehoppers, and spittlebugs) are reinforced with metals like manganese, zinc, and iron to make them strong enough to saw into bark, stems, and—in the cicada's case—straight into the woody branches of trees! These are some of my favorite insects, and J. olitoria is a local I've grown fond of seeing.
Here is the paper that goes into depth about the structure of the cicada ovipositor!
