280 days of Urbpandemonium #73

[urbpan]

This distinctive, but variable little hopper Entylia carinata* is a predictable presence on the underside of our sunflower leaves. My insect guide claims they prefer goldenrod, but we know that the bugs don't read the guides. More often than not, I find them in the company of different species of ants, who feed on the honeydew (you know, poop) that the hopper produces. Though the color of these bugs varies from light to dark, the shape--in imitation of plant material--is distinctive.

* I can't find any explanation for "Entylia," but "carinata" refers to the keel of the back of the animal.