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Sunday, September 07, 2008

Leafhopper assassins



















In the post before this one I mentioned Zelus renardii nymphs are evident in good numbers, so here are some pictures of those. I just finished reading Arboretum America, by Diana Beresford-Kroeger, a book that helps us to see the trees right in front of us, understand their characteristics and value to wildlife and humans alike. I learned a lot from this book, but one thing the author mentioned that stuck in my mind was "domatal hairs". I'd never heard that term before; when I google it, I get referenced back to the book. Anyway, according to Beresford-Kroeger, domatal hairs on the undersides of leaves harbor and protect vast populations of tiny predatory insects helpful to the trees specifically and the ecosystem in general.

The leaves these young assassin bugs were found on are quite hairy. Domatal hairs? I dunno.

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