Are these all the same species and who is the daddy?

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tpe
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Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 4:07 am
Location: Copenhagen Denmark

Are these all the same species and who is the daddy?

Post by tpe »

They look to be leafhopper nymphs?

Are they all the same species?
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There were a lot of these leafhoppers around, could these be the adults?
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Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Picture 3 looks like the adult of Picture 2, but I think Picture 1 is a larva of a predator that kills and eats the leafhopper nymphs and puts their remains on his back.

tpe
Posts: 478
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 4:07 am
Location: Copenhagen Denmark

Post by tpe »

Lou Jost thanks for the suggestion, and what an odd behavior

It did look very like that and there were somethings like that in the exact same area too. I see what you mean and the head anatomy with the two producing parts also looks similar, but I don't think it is a predator head even though it is quite different from the others. Have a look at the picture below, where the protrusions from the head look much more like teeth, and the general anatomy looks like a lacewing or ant-lion/owl fly larvae?

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Hmnn this pic is not so good to get the mandibles, perhaps I can find another where it is easier when home, but perhaps it is enough, could this be like the one you mean, it looks like it has overloaded its back with fluffy stuff that could well have come from the nymphs!?

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Neuroptera larva. I see that Pic 1 doesn't have those big pincer mouthparts, but maybe it is a different kind of predator. The head and the leg positions look different from the corresponding parts of the leafhopper larva.

MarkSturtevant
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Post by MarkSturtevant »

This is interesting and those are good pictures. Thanks, Lou, for the IDs.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

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