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Treehopper nymph

Ledromorpha planirostris

Description:

About 20mm long.
Very flat and looking like a tiny crocodile waiting in eucalyptus bark.

Habitat:

Eucalyptus open woodland.

Notes:

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...

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14 Comments

Awesome find Mark,beautiful,congrats and thanks for sharing

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

Very unique for sure! You could start your own mission full of eccentric insect outliers...

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 6 years ago

Oh and there's the heaviest moths too. I'm starting to think it's a weird place. ;-)
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/127...

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 6 years ago

Thanks Christine.
You're so right too.. we've got another tiny giant in Oz
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/241...

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

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!

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 6 years ago

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...

suzmonk
suzmonk 6 years ago

Congratulations! What a flat fellow. Scratch that. Slender sally.

SukanyaDatta
SukanyaDatta 6 years ago

Yay!!! This one had my vote too. Congrats, Mark. Really croc-like.

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 6 years ago

Thanks Brian and Leuba.

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 6 years ago

Congratulations Mark ! One of the oddest creatures ever...

Brian38
Brian38 6 years ago

Congrats Mark on SOTD a very cool spotting!

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 6 years ago

Thank you Daniele. Weird and wonderful.

DanielePralong
DanielePralong 6 years ago

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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https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/9...

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

Fascinating - so huge, so flat, and so well camouflaged! Very nice!

Mark Ridgway
Spotted by
Mark Ridgway

Victoria, Australia

Spotted on Nov 18, 2017
Submitted on Nov 29, 2017

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