Thorn-bugs are a type of Tree-hoppers that have interested many people due to their unusual appearance. There is something like 3200 known species of Tree-hoppers spread in all continents, except Antarctica.
As you can see from the above image, these unique bugs have pointed covers (pronotum) over their bodies which resemble the shape of a thorn (that may grow on a rose bush) and apparently aid in perfect camouflage. In some of the other species the pronotum grows to a hornlike extension, even more out of the ordinary and hard to be explained forms can be found.
One cannot tell the difference between the male and female other than looking at the male genitalia. Tree-hoppers generally live for no more than a few months, but they do however belong to an ancestry that is no less than 40 million years old.
As you can see from the above image, these unique bugs have pointed covers (pronotum) over their bodies which resemble the shape of a thorn (that may grow on a rose bush) and apparently aid in perfect camouflage. In some of the other species the pronotum grows to a hornlike extension, even more out of the ordinary and hard to be explained forms can be found.
One cannot tell the difference between the male and female other than looking at the male genitalia. Tree-hoppers generally live for no more than a few months, but they do however belong to an ancestry that is no less than 40 million years old.
Source from wikipedia
1 comment:
Very Interesting!!!
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