#green leafhopper

Gyponana Leafhopper - Gyponana sp.

I was hopeful when taking this leafy-green insect's picture that identification would be simple and straightforward. In practice, identification down to the specie has proven difficult, but at least the genus was achievable. Many Leafhoppers are similar in appearance, so it takes a keen eye and a close examination of the Hopper's details to be certain, up to the point of collection. In particular, the underside, and I'm not talking about the spines used for sensory purposes. I've only learned this after the fact, but nevertheless I'll be leaving these insects to hop around their plants in peace. Despite this individual's best efforts to blend into the foliage it walks on, these insects can be (initially) surprisingly easy to find. This is because they'll hop away if they sense danger.

After that hop away, if your eyes haven't tracked them they will disappear among the greenery. With a large size and the prominent cells along the wings (quite visible whether in light or shadow), one could be forgiven to mistaken them for a small leaf, akin to their distant Planthopper cousins. The stripes along the pronotum are quite pretty to look at while the Bug can remain still, but what really impresses me is the antennae. Other species showcased earlier have small antennae, up to the point of being hardly visible. Meanwhile, the antennae here are quite visible even without zooming in a photograph. They are quite long and thin, more so proportionally compared to other larger Hemipterans like Cicadas. I've thought that the antennae's thinness may be a compromise to allow for less interference during hopping, while also allowing great sensory of a surrounding environment. Perhaps comparing this individual against other finds may provide some insight.

Day 7’s invertober prompt is Green leafhopper!