Video of G. fennahi (Rhododendron leafhopper) squirting

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:31 pm

Hi folks,

If you haven't already seen them please check out the related posts showing close-ups of the hopper and the honeydew flicking mechanism.

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=3369

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=3338

Anyway, here's a short video that I've uploaded to YouTube showing the tiny Rhododendron leafhopper sqirting (or flipping) drops of honeydew. Interestingly the drop was always flicked to the insect's right. I watched several for over an hour and they all "squirted to the right".

I plan to keep revisiting the bush in the hope of getting some pics of them mating and egg laying.

*The video can be seen at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9sBr1ORrgw

Bruce

Planapo · Post by **Planapo** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 3:31 pm

Very nice, Bruce! Thanks for sharing.

Hadn´t seen that behaviour displayed by leaf hoppers yet, only by some aphids.
And this Graphocephala fennahi is a beautiful insect, so colourful. Just did some reading on it, and there it says that it had been introduced from North America, where it is native, to the UK first, presumably in the 1930ies, and then reached continental Europe in the 1960ies.
Hadn´t known this species at all until I saw your excellent pictures.

Cheers,
Betty

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:37 pm

hmm thats interesting, what is this some sort of a defense mechanism?

Planapo · Post by **Planapo** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:08 am

Adrian, as far as I know, that behaviour provides for hygiene, so that the hoppers or aphids and the area they sit on doesn´t get covered in sticky honeydew which later mould fungi would grow on.

BTW, Bruce, are DSLRs like the D80 capable of recording videos like the p&s cameras, or how else did you record it?

--Betty

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:03 am

Betty and Adrian - thanks for your comments

.

Betty: No the Nikon D80 can't record video unfortunately - as far as I know this is the case with all DSLR's. I used my Minolta A2 prosumer to produce the video - by current standards it's performance is quite modest being just 544X408 at 30fps.

Bruce

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:39 pm

Heheheheehehee, the hopper looks like it was trying to fling the stuff at the camera. Excellent work on the video Bruce.