Hmmm, is that thorn really a thorn or is it something much more interesting?
That rather odd looking thorn you notice might actually be a Treehopper – very tiny critters in an insect group related to Cicadas. It is estimated that there are about 3,200 species worldwide with the lion’s share residing in the tropics. However, approximately 260 species can be found in North America. The ones I most often see are Buffalo Treehoppers (the green ones in this post) for which there are 16 species.
What is so special about Treehoppers?
The fascinating thing about Treehoppers is that they are barely recognizable as living creatures let alone as insects. Their body mimics thorns with spikes, horns, crests or other rather bizarre body modifications. These features are a form of camouflage that offers them protection from predators and often hide them from our perception.
What do Treehoppers look like?
As mentioned above, they do not look like insects at all. Their tiny size – from 2 mm to 2 cm – makes them difficult to find and recognize. Unless you are aware of their existence and attuned to their appearance, they look like thorns or parts of vegetation. They do have specialized muscles in their hind legs that unfurl to help them jump although this feature is hard to detect.
How long do they live and where?
Treehoppers only live a few months. Young Treehoppers are found on herbaceous shrubs and grasses. Adults frequent hardwood trees. They have pointy, tube-shaped mouthparts that they use to pierce plant stems and feed on sap.
Where do they fit in the quilt of nature?
Treehoppers engage in the practice of mutualism – two species working together in a manner that benefits both species. Excess sap released from plants when they pierce them attracts ants which come to feed on the sap. The ants in turn provide protection from predators for Treehoppers. Some species have also formed mutualistic relationships with wasps and even geckos.
Tiny Treehoppers: One more fascinating patch in the quilt of nature stitched together by threads of interdependence and natural balance.
~ Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet
~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .
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Tags: metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · quilt of nature · TreehoppersNo Comments