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Swimming Bug?
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:43 am
by bankst
I found this unfortunate creature face-down in our pond at the weekend. It had me stumped for a while, but the wing cases and blunt nose got me thinking about froghoppers. I can't find any photos of froghoppers with wings akimbo like this, but am I on the right lines?
Cheers,
Tom.
Re: Swimming Bug?
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 5:29 pm
by SteveMcBill
Definitely a planthopper Tom.
A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha within the Hemiptera
Hard to identify it from the photograph but it looks like it may be the commonest of our 'hoppers' - the one whose nymphal stage causes 'Cuckoo Spit' on low plants - this the Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius).
See over at: http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/homoptera ... arius.html
Steve.
Re: Swimming Bug?
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:11 am
by bankst
Many thanks Steve.
According to 'British Bugs' this is "A spectacularly variable species, with many dramatically different colour forms." so I guess this is another one, also from my garden, (see attached). The holly leaf gives it some scale.
Cheers,
Tom.