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Ledromorpha planirostris
About 20mm long.
Very flat and looking like a tiny crocodile waiting in eucalyptus bark.
Eucalyptus open woodland.
The largest known tree hopper. Males have never been found.
Adults are up to 28mm long with a tapered tail which is actually an ovipositor.
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/zostero...
https://sites.google.com/site/insectsoft...
14 Comments
Awesome find Mark,beautiful,congrats and thanks for sharing
Very unique for sure! You could start your own mission full of eccentric insect outliers...
Oh and there's the heaviest moths too. I'm starting to think it's a weird place. ;-)
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/127...
Thanks Christine.
You're so right too.. we've got another tiny giant in Oz
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/241...
Congratulations Mark! Didn't you find a giant springtail as well? Love your scale insect also. You have a talent for finding these "large" small insects!
Thanks all.
For those interested here is the weird hopper's best friend the largest scale insect in the world.. also weird
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/113...
Congratulations! What a flat fellow. Scratch that. Slender sally.
Yay!!! This one had my vote too. Congrats, Mark. Really croc-like.
Thanks Brian and Leuba.
Congratulations Mark ! One of the oddest creatures ever...
Congrats Mark on SOTD a very cool spotting!
Thank you Daniele. Weird and wonderful.
Congratulations Mark, this superflat master of disguise is our Spotting of the Day!
"Can you spot it? We're being cryptic today with this remarkably flat Leafhopper nymph (Ledromorpha planirostris) as our Spotting of the Day! The only described species in the genus Ledromorpha (family Cicadellidae), it is endemic to eastern Australia and often found on the trunk or under the bark of eucalyptus trees. This critter has two serious claims to fame. First, with adults measuring up 28mm in length (helped by a tapered tail which is actually a long ovipositor), it is the largest known leafhopper. Second, no males of this species have ever been found. Because of this it is assumed to be parthenogenetic.
For more information: https://buff.ly/2AnP89t "
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Fascinating - so huge, so flat, and so well camouflaged! Very nice!