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Graphocephala coccinea
"Leafhoppers have piercing-sucking mouthparts, enabling them to feed on plant sap. A leafhoppers' diet commonly consists of sap from a wide and diverse range of plants, but some are more host-specific. Leafhoppers mainly are herbivores, but some are known to eat smaller insects, such as aphids, on occasion. A few species are known to be mud-puddling, but as it seems, females rarely engage in such behavior." Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafhopper
Grasslands / fields / woods.
I saw one of these little guys last night as the sun was setting and by the time I got my camera it had moved on. This afternoon to my surprise I found several of them feasting on the milkweed plants growing in the back field, and was able to get a shot. This is by far not a clear macro as it's enlarged several hundred times via photoshop. The second photo is the original, to give you a sheer scale of how small these guys are. Really, really neat coloration.
Thanks again Auntnance!!!! I found the page but went back and just grabbed the general info to cover all species. These things have demolished all of the milkweed behind the house here. I have seen them before, but never in numbers quite like today. (then again, I have been paying more attention to the macro world around me since signing up here @ Project Noah). :-D
Candy striped leafhopper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphocepha...)
They used to be common here but I rarely see them anymore. Nice to see now.