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Project Noah Nature School
Cladonata sp
The species are very ornamented and have strange body forms, sometimes resembling pieces of branches, leaves, dry fruits or seeds, lichens, bird droppings, etc. There are about 50 described species. Their biology is poorly known. This one is about 1.2cm in diameter. Enjoy!
Tropical dry forest in NW Costa Rica 14 weeks into one of the driest rainy seasons that I can remember. At sea level.
Thanks Tk...I still have a couple more crazy things on my list that I'm looking for which I am sure I will find soon!
Thank Laura. I brought my daughter within 3 inches of it and she didn't see it. I have been looking!
This is so cool! What an interestingly shaped insect, I don't know that I would have even noticed it was a living thing. Very neat, great spot!
Next time you take this picture, you might cleaning it from the spider web ;-)...
Don't want to cause any problems. I'm not a scientist but this insect is definitely in the family Membracidae and known as Treehoppers according to what I have read online and in my book "Membracidos de la America Tropical" or Treehopper of tropical America". Sphongophorus as I mentioned is no longer used and Cladonota is definitely the new name for this genus. There is no doubt. I am with bayucca on this one. C. ballista is an excellent suggestion, no doubt. However, without a disection it might be nearly impossible to properly identify this speciman.
Thanks Cindy - I knew you would love this one. Thanks Uday, Bayucca and Ashish. What a lively conversation!
Cladonota sp. is definitely correct, but I have doubts if you ever can ID this one from just a picture. I would stay with Cladonota sp.
Larry Cladonota is type of Planthopper and Binomial ID is as per suggested by Uday.
Hi Uday... you should not add question mark in suggestion. If you not confirmed with ID suggested must be not suggested mark a just comment. Please resuggest ID by removing question mark and always add link where you find picture of this kind of creature.
Thanks U. According to my book "Treehoppers of Tropical America" - Godoy, Miranda, Nishida...This genus was known as sphongophorus and is now reclassified as cladonota....so maybe cladonota ballista.
It sure does look like a horseshoe. I'm not sure if that is the common name. The cladonota come in many distinct forms...maybe some of the strangest in the animal kingdom. Thanks Karen!
Spotted on Jul 30, 2012
Submitted on Aug 6, 2012
