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melvynyeo β€” Treehopper protecting eggs from Parasitoid wasp

#eggs #from #laying #parasitoid #protecting #treehopper #wasp
Published: 2018-05-26 07:04:55 +0000 UTC; Views: 3339; Favourites: 150; Downloads: 0
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Description

I found many Parasitoid wasp lurking nearby most of the treehopper eggs like this scene. Taken at night in Singapore forest.


Quote from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehopp…

Treehoppers (more precisely typical treehoppers to distinguish them from the Aetalionidae) and thorn bugs are members of the family Membracidae, a group of insects related to the cicadas and the leafhoppers. About 3,200 species of treehoppers in over 400 genera are known.[1] They are found on all continents except Antarctica; only three species are known from Europe. Individual treehoppers usually live for only a few months.


Treehoppers pierce plant stems with their beaks and feed upon sap. The young can frequently be found on herbaceous shrubs and grasses, while the adults more often frequent hardwood tree species. Excess sap becomes concentrated as honeydew, which often attracts ants. Some species have a well-developed ant mutualism, and these species are normally gregarious as well, which attracts more ants. The ants provide protection from predators. Treehoppers mimic thorns to prevent predators from spotting them.

Others have formed mutualisms with wasps, such as Parachartergus apicalis.[3] Even geckos form mutualistic relations with treehoppers, with whom they communicate by small vibrations of the abdomen.[4]

Eggs are laid by the female with her saw-like ovipositor in slits cut into the cambium or live tissue of stems, though some species lay eggs on top of leaves or stems. The eggs may be parasitised by wasps, such as the tiny fairyflies (Mymaridae) and Trichogrammatidae. The females of some membracid species sit over their eggs to protect them from predators and parasites, and may buzz their wings at intruders. The females of some gregarious species work together to protect each other's eggs. In at least one species, Publilia modesta, mothers serve to attract ants when nymphs are too small to produce much honeydew. Some other species make feeding slits for the nymphs.[5]

Like the adults, the nymphs also feed upon sap, and unlike adults, have an extensible anal tube that appears designed to deposit honeydew away from their bodies. The tube appears to be longer in solitary species rarely attended by ants. It is important for sap-feeding bugs to dispose of honeydew, as otherwise it can become infected with sooty moulds. Indeed, one of the evident benefits of ants for Publilia concava nymphs is that the ants remove the honeydew and reduce such fungal growth.

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Comments: 9

Lady-Pilot [2018-05-28 20:53:37 +0000 UTC]

good photo

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gizemlianilar [2018-05-26 23:35:55 +0000 UTC]

A very nice work!

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WanderingMogwai [2018-05-26 23:03:45 +0000 UTC]

Great capture!

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cupcake2232221 [2018-05-26 22:01:14 +0000 UTC]

That’s amazing

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DaBabyTails [2018-05-26 21:53:59 +0000 UTC]

That's awesome

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Rosediaa [2018-05-26 17:45:45 +0000 UTC]

PHENOMENAL!
But lil ewww (sowwie I just don't like creepy crawlies!)

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raido-ehwaz [2018-05-26 17:37:57 +0000 UTC]

Great capture! I love how you show the (often lethal) drama that happens all around us, all the time, that we rarely notice.

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Omoidenoki [2018-05-26 09:44:12 +0000 UTC]

David and Goliath Β 

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CapscesDigitalInk [2018-05-26 09:44:05 +0000 UTC]

Amazing image, brilliant work!

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