280 days of Urbpandemonium #189

A little green fleck of life, this planthopper, Acanalonia conica*, has no common name. It plainly goes about its business, hop-flying from plant to plant. Bugguide says it is "polyphagous," but can't that be said about any of us? This species is found across the eastern United States, and apparently stowed away in someone's luggage on a trip to Italy, as it is now causing some alarm there. As an alien species that is happy to eat everything from elm to grapes and beyond, it may well turn into an agricultural pest.



*Greek konikos 'conic' (refers to the pointed head)

280 days of Urbpandemonium #190

This lupine bug Megalotomus quinquespinosus* is trying to trick me by sitting on a milkweed plant, instead of any legume. Normally this bug sticks its beaklike mouth into the seeds of lupines, soybeans, and others. Thinking back on it, the only conspicuous legumes around were honey locust trees. Sources also list sumac (a non-legume) as a host plant, and there is plenty of that in the highly-disturbed, partially paved area where I found this bug.

Apparently this plant eating bug benefits from its passing resemblance to the predatory assassin bugs. I presume that the distinctive white band on its antennae signals this misapprehension.



*Best as I can tell, Megalotomus means "big section" referring to the broad head of this insect; Quinquespinosus means "5 spines."