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Sunday, September 02, 2012
Exuviae and once and future exuviator
I found two nicely complete exuviae, also known as the remains of an exoskeleton and related structures that are left after an insect has molted, hanging in the leaves of the big myrtle today.
I brought them indoors to examine and share with Mr. Cardui, who gave them a cursory glance and continued to vacuum the rugs saying, that's something I would be more interested in getting rid of than keeping. So sayeth the previous owners, or exuviators, as well.
These exuviae are from stink bugs, Nezara viridula, one of which I found also among the myrtle foliage. This one might have been the source of one of the exuvia but will definitely be the source of future ones as it will be molting two more times: once to the 5th instar and once again to adulthood.
That creature on the stem next to the stink bug is a leaf hopper or plant hopper of some kind. There's quite a few of them hopping around the myrtle . . . . .
Also lurking nearby in the myrtle but maybe from a galaxy far far away was this unidentified creature. Watch out, it's alien weather we been having.
Labels:
hemipterans/true bugs,
life cycle,
the observer,
weird stuff
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