Lace Bug (Tingidae, Heteroptera, Hemiptera) on Trask's Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon traskiae, Boraginaceae)
This is a tiny Lace Bug in the family Tingidae (Heteroptera, Hemiptera) on a leaf of Trask's Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon traskiae) in the Boraginaceae or Hydrophyllaceae plant family. It looks slightly different from the usual lace bugs that I find on Wild Sweetpea - more spiky and less bumpy, compare this photo. I wonder if they are plant-specific? These bugs have remarkable net-like lattice-work on their body that reminds me of shogun-era samurai armor - but it also looks like bubble-wrap! There's a skinny bug inside the armor. You can see its antennae on the left. (San Marcos Pass, 21 April 2015)
Update, 22 April - I guess they are plant-specific. Alice identifies this as Corythucha eriodictyonae and I found it on a Eriodictyon shrub. BugGuide lists a slew of different species on different host plants. I'll have to come back sometime and look for the one on our native sweetpea.
Lace Bug (Tingidae, Heteroptera, Hemiptera) on Trask's Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon traskiae, Boraginaceae)
This is a tiny Lace Bug in the family Tingidae (Heteroptera, Hemiptera) on a leaf of Trask's Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon traskiae) in the Boraginaceae or Hydrophyllaceae plant family. It looks slightly different from the usual lace bugs that I find on Wild Sweetpea - more spiky and less bumpy, compare this photo. I wonder if they are plant-specific? These bugs have remarkable net-like lattice-work on their body that reminds me of shogun-era samurai armor - but it also looks like bubble-wrap! There's a skinny bug inside the armor. You can see its antennae on the left. (San Marcos Pass, 21 April 2015)
Update, 22 April - I guess they are plant-specific. Alice identifies this as Corythucha eriodictyonae and I found it on a Eriodictyon shrub. BugGuide lists a slew of different species on different host plants. I'll have to come back sometime and look for the one on our native sweetpea.