Before catching the train back to Worcester the other week, I whipped out the sweep net for the first time this year and unleashed a wrath of sweeping fury on the garden conifer, in the hope of picking out some over-wintering Hemiptera.
It was surprisingly successful, with plenty of
Empoasca and
Zygina leafhoppers discovered. The latter is a tricky genus to separate, but with the help of Tristan Bantock, a few interesting species were singled out...
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| Empoasca vitis, identified by that transparent stripe down the side of the forewing. Possibly the commonest leafhopper in the garden at present. |
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| Balclutha punctata |
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| Zygina flammigera |
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| Zygina angusta |
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| This one is probably Zygina schneideri, but the genus is so variable that it would be hard to say for sure without a closer examination. |
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| A real corker of a leafhopper, and one of the more distinctive species- a male Zyginella pulchra |
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| Idiocerus vitreus |
Considering the relatively low number of species currently in their adult stage- and the ease at which they can be caught- now is the perfect time of year to get your head around this great bunch of insects.
3 comments:
This is great post. You took some rear flies pictures.
I always struggle to see any insects this time of year (just watch the birds till spring!) But I have a couple of evergreen bushes in my garden (no idea what, not a plant guy) maybe I'll go see what I can find!
Evergreens are a great place to start, Ashley- plenty of sheltered cover for early season insects. Give it a sweep and see what you find!
Tristan's website is great for helping to ID leafhoppers and such- britishbugs.org.uk
Bill
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