March 01, 2022
A scientist from Anglia Ruskin University, England, has found a new species of leafhopper on a students’ fieldtrip to West Uganda. He named the insect with a metallic sheen Phlogis kibalensis. This is a rare find and the insect’s biology remains unknown. The last record of a leafhopper of the same genus dates back to 1969 and was found in the Central African Republic. This species is unusual in its appearance—it is 6.5mm long and has a pitted body. Leafhoppers mainly eat plant sap, sucked directly from plant tissue. They are preyed on by spiders, beetles and birds.
Did You Know?
Leafhoppers can move fast; they can hop forwards, backwards and sideways like a crab.
Image Source: theguardian.com
