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Froghopper - Spittlebug
Tomaspis inca
16.6959, -92.8194
Field Notes
Description:
Black Froghopper (Spittle Bug) with red bands that was very abundant on all types of vegetation. Active fliers as well. About 1.5 cm in length. They might be distasteful with that warning coloration. Family Cercopidae.
See also: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/445352972/fullscreen.
Habitat:
Heavy shrubbery along the highway between San Cristobal de Las Casas and Tuxtla Gutierrez, km 11.5, 865 meters.
Notes:
This Froghopper is amazingly variable and it is difficult to know if they are different species, subspecies or variants within a single species. Project Noah has many other submissions of this hopper:
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/36025016/fullscreen
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/12758062/fullscreen
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/11407503/fullscreen
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/7001548/fullscreen
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/11462864/fullscreen
Color variations include: forewing band width, red or black eyes, red or black mouthparts, red present or absent on the legs or head, red coloring present or absent on the thorax and upper forewings and red coloring present or absent all along the scutellum. It was very abundant, as was a species of syrphid fly (Salpingogaster nigra) that is a predator of froghopper nymphs (http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/37064182/fullscreen)
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