Amazon Pics Part 26

Moebius · Post by **Moebius** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:02 am

More hoppers today. The family I saw the most variety of down there.

Another tiny hopper

Can't decide which of these two shot I like more. Opinions?

Ken Nelson
Canon 30D
Sigma 150mm

cactuspic · Post by **cactuspic** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:18 am

Gotta love that hopper. It looked so cute that I nearly didn't want to squish it.

Good work.

Irwin

Carl_Constantine · Post by **Carl_Constantine** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:34 am

That guy in the bottom two images is a hopper? Never seen anything like it. I like both bottom images for different reasons. First one, because it shows the size relationship. Second one for the nice close-up detail.

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:34 am

The shy little rhino hopper wins it by a horn! Actually, they are both excellent photos Ken and very interesting too.

Looking closely at the very sharp detail EVERYWHERE on the pic1 hopper - particularly the very fine hairs at the end of the abdomen - yep, focus is spot on. Curious the way its is holding its back legs almost parallel with the body. Very nice photo.

The character in pic2 is trying to convince the world he's a bumble bee. Errrr actually...are you certain he's a....

. The small, daisy shaped, white marking on the yellow part of the (is that thorax or abdomen?) looks like it may be functional - any thoughts?

Bruce

Moebius · Post by **Moebius** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:38 pm

Bruce,

No, I do not have a solid id on any of these creatures...just guessing. Trying to find a solid id for these guys is like finding a needle in a haystack.

I though the last two pics reminded me of thorn mimics that I thought were homopterans. I have a couple other thorn mimics to show later on.

Ken

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:26 pm

The pictures are amazing Ken. You seem to get the focus right on and the DOF is perfect I love them all...... Super. I think the first one is a leafhopper family Cicadellidae, they are usually more parallel-sided and their wings have no cover on them. The other one is a treehopper, family membracidae. Their Pronotum (first segment of the thorax) is usually prolonged backward over the abdomen and wings, almost like a helmet. You can see it in the third picture. Both are in the order HOMOPTERA, which includes Cicadas, Whiteflies, Aphids and Scale insects.

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:43 pm

Great stuff!

What if you find a new species never catalogued before?

Congratulations for the AAA of the month for January!