Post by trehopr1 on Mar 20, 2021 10:22:50 GMT -8
In the photograph below you will see a "partial" selection
of one of my unit trays of treehoppers !
Membracidae are my absolute favorite family of insects -- bar none.
Treehopper research has come a long way over the years. Presently, there
are more than 3500 described species in this most curious-looking group of
plant feeding insects.
Because of their small size (10mm or less in Nearctic species); treehoppers
present quite the photographic dilemma for most of us novice photographers.
Hence, my hesitation at posting much on this thoroughly absorbing subject (for me).
There are 2 species present here in my photo. The ones in the foreground are females
of Smilia camelus (Fabricius 1803) (9mm.). The others in the background (right) portion
of the photo are the males of this species and they measure slightly smaller at 7-8mm.
In the background but, in the (left) portion of the photo is another species known as
Cyrtolobus tuberosus (Fairmaire 1846); with similar size dimensions of females/males
respectively. This is the largest and most "humpbacked" member of the genus Cyrtolobus;
and the way the crest is notched -- along with its crossbanding are distinctive markers for
identification.
All of my little prizes here (along with many more not seen) were collected amongst a
small patch of young white oak trees on a forest's edge one afternoon of May.27.1988
I collected all of them (40 specimens) singly -- using an 8-dram vial. I found out early on
in my treehopper "hunting" escapades that merely shaking a tree branch into ones net was
met with fairly miserable failure. These little fellows are quite the accomplished fliers AND
they "flush" in numbers when disturbed like ducks on a mill pond who get frightened !
of one of my unit trays of treehoppers !
Membracidae are my absolute favorite family of insects -- bar none.
Treehopper research has come a long way over the years. Presently, there
are more than 3500 described species in this most curious-looking group of
plant feeding insects.
Because of their small size (10mm or less in Nearctic species); treehoppers
present quite the photographic dilemma for most of us novice photographers.
Hence, my hesitation at posting much on this thoroughly absorbing subject (for me).
There are 2 species present here in my photo. The ones in the foreground are females
of Smilia camelus (Fabricius 1803) (9mm.). The others in the background (right) portion
of the photo are the males of this species and they measure slightly smaller at 7-8mm.
In the background but, in the (left) portion of the photo is another species known as
Cyrtolobus tuberosus (Fairmaire 1846); with similar size dimensions of females/males
respectively. This is the largest and most "humpbacked" member of the genus Cyrtolobus;
and the way the crest is notched -- along with its crossbanding are distinctive markers for
identification.
All of my little prizes here (along with many more not seen) were collected amongst a
small patch of young white oak trees on a forest's edge one afternoon of May.27.1988
I collected all of them (40 specimens) singly -- using an 8-dram vial. I found out early on
in my treehopper "hunting" escapades that merely shaking a tree branch into ones net was
met with fairly miserable failure. These little fellows are quite the accomplished fliers AND
they "flush" in numbers when disturbed like ducks on a mill pond who get frightened !