Spittle Bug - Brown Leaf Hopper Nymph

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

AlP
Posts: 323
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:48 pm
Location: Alberta, Canada

Spittle Bug - Brown Leaf Hopper Nymph

Post by AlP »

Our Fire Weed in the front yard always has a lot of spittle on them. I was curious what was inside. Canon 1Dx with Canon MPE-65, magnification unrecorded. Dollar store foamie for a background to remove clutter.
1 - spittle brown leaf hopper copy 1024.jpg
Inside was a kinda cute Brown Leaf Hopper nymph. Interestingly as the nymph was exposed to the "outside" the glossiness of its protection disappeared making it easier to photograph.
2 - spittle brown leaf hopper nymph copy 1024.jpg

Sumguy01
Posts: 1715
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:05 pm
Location: Ketchikan Alaska USA

Re: Spittle Bug - Brown Leaf Hopper Nymph

Post by Sumguy01 »

Very nice.
Thanks for sharing =D>

Adalbert
Posts: 2427
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Re: Spittle Bug - Brown Leaf Hopper Nymph

Post by Adalbert »

very nice :smt041

zook
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:08 pm
Location: zemun/serbia/milky way

Re: Spittle Bug - Brown Leaf Hopper Nymph

Post by zook »

nice, detailed and sharp shots ...

MarkSturtevant
Posts: 1946
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Spittle Bug - Brown Leaf Hopper Nymph

Post by MarkSturtevant »

That is a startlingly clear picture of the nymph. Well done. I know the bubbles are made from plant sap, but I don't know how they make bubbles with it.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

AlP
Posts: 323
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:48 pm
Location: Alberta, Canada

Re: Spittle Bug - Brown Leaf Hopper Nymph

Post by AlP »

MarkSturtevant wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:04 pm
That is a startlingly clear picture of the nymph. Well done. I know the bubbles are made from plant sap, but I don't know how they make bubbles with it.
The bubbles come out of their butt. What they do inside themselves to create the bubble is above my knowledge. I think the sap is a little sticky and with a little air, viola, bubble. I might have to bring a couple into the house this summer and keep an eye out. They really seem to like our Fireweed, the odd one will appear on our Goutweed (usually on the flowering stem) but I don't or haven't seen them on any other plants around our yard. It should be a good summer project.

MarkSturtevant
Posts: 1946
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Spittle Bug - Brown Leaf Hopper Nymph

Post by MarkSturtevant »

AlP wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 9:30 pm
The bubbles come out of their butt. What they do inside themselves to create the bubble is above my knowledge. I think the sap is a little sticky and with a little air, viola, bubble. I might have to bring a couple into the house this summer and keep an eye out. They really seem to like our Fireweed, the odd one will appear on our Goutweed (usually on the flowering stem) but I don't or haven't seen them on any other plants around our yard. It should be a good summer project.
Thanks! Then their bubble making may be a matter of excreting excess sappy fluid from their rear (Hemipterans commonly do this to concentrate the nutrients in the sap), and then push air into the excretion from a pair of posterior spiracles.
How weird that we wonder about these things.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic