#fulgorid

Lanternfly aka Peanut Bug (Fulgora laternaria), Peruvian Amazon

Also called the the Peanut-headed Lanternfly and the Alligator bug, these true bugs are found in and around trees throughout much of tropical central and South America. When I was guiding in Ecuador, the Quichua guides told me that if a man is bitten by a “machaca”, then the only way to counteract the venom is to have sex with a virgin girl within 24 hours. They feed on the juices of plants, and do not bite people. They have no venom...    -_____-

Fulgorid hopper (Penthicodes sp.?), warning display by Arthur Anker 

A wonderful Lanternbug by Antonio Giudici

FULGORID - Red-Dotted Planthopper (Lystra lanata)  ©pbertner

These interesting insects are members of the hemiptera or true bugs. They use their proboscis to penetrate their host plant/tree on which they are usually found to drink the sugary rich phloem. They excrete honeydew which is a sugary liquid stripped of the nutrients needed by the fulgorid but still of interest to other insects, chiefly ants. So, fulgorids (and many other hemipterans) can be found attended by many different species of ants which will actually cultivate, farm and defend their hosts. The white tails are actually made of wax. This strategy is possibly a ploy to fool birds and other predators who might mistake the extremely visible tails for the head. Found during a night hike in Iwokrama rainforest reserve, Guyana.

Other images you may enjoy:

Fulgorid Planthoppers

Longhorn Beetle