Lanternflies & Trophobiosis

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orionmystery
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Lanternflies & Trophobiosis

Post by orionmystery »

Trophobiosis between lantern bug and cockroach. The lantern bug are <i>Pyrops cultellatus yoshiakii</i> Nagai & Porion, 2002. No ID for the roach yet. Selangor, Malaysia.
ImagePyrops cultellatus yoshiaki IMG_8131 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

Lantern flies / lantern bugs - Zanna terminalis nymphs and adult. Selangor, Malaysia.
ImageZanna terminalis IMG_6383 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

ImageZanna terminalis IMG_6662 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

ImageZanna terminalis IMG_6392 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

Marbled Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus quadrivirgatus) waiting beside a few lantern bug nymphs (Zanna terminalis), presumably waiting for their honeydew excretes. Night find, Selangor, Malaysia.
ImageGecko & Fulgorid Trophobiosis IMG_6487 copy (2) by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

A skittish Four-clawed Gecko (Gehyra mutilata) enjoying honeydew excrete from a Fulgorid (Prolepta sp.). Selangor, Malaysia.
ImageGehyra mutilata IMG_7121 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

A Frilly Gecko (Hemidactylus craspedotus) enjoying free flow of honeydew from a few lantern bugs (Pyrops oculata). Malaysia.
ImagePyrops oculata & Frilly Gecko IMG_2831 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

Frilly Gecko (Hemidactylus craspedotus) enjoying free flow honeydew excrete from a Fulgorid (Dichoptera sp.). Selangor, Malaysia.
ImageFrilly Gecko & Fulgorid - Trophobiosis IMG_0898 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

More beautiful lantern bugs of Malaysia and Borneo: http://orionmystery.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... n-fly.html
NACairns
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Joined: December 30th, 2013, 7:27 am

Re: Lanternflies & Trophobiosis

Post by NACairns »

Interesting diversity of geckos that take advantage of this honeydew resource. Do you see interactions between them? What sort of densities do these lantern bugs occur at in this area? Does the honeydew attract other small insects that might represent a protein source?
Cool observations, thanks for sharing.
Nick
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orionmystery
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Re: Lanternflies & Trophobiosis

Post by orionmystery »

NACairns wrote:Interesting diversity of geckos that take advantage of this honeydew resource. Do you see interactions between them? What sort of densities do these lantern bugs occur at in this area? Does the honeydew attract other small insects that might represent a protein source?
Cool observations, thanks for sharing.
Nick
Thanks for the comment, Nick.

Beside geckos and roaches, ants too are attracted to the honeydew excretes. Not sure what you mean by "interaction". Those geckos, roaches, ants just wait at the rear end of the Fulgorids and lick up the honeydew.

Dichoptera sp. are pretty common in the forest. The green one, not as common.
NACairns
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Re: Lanternflies & Trophobiosis

Post by NACairns »

Thanks for the reply I find this little sub-community very interesting. I've seen ants "farm" aphids here in Canada with flies actively seeking access to honeydew but adding vertebrates, especially insect predators makes this trophic interaction way more interesting. In the previous comment I used the term "interaction" in reference to the between honeydew consumer species (ants, roaches and geckos) interactions, ie. guarding or sharing the resource. I would imagine that is a neat competition story with all this diversity.
Thanks,
Nick
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orionmystery
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Re: Lanternflies & Trophobiosis

Post by orionmystery »

Nick, check out this paper: Novel trophobiotic interactions in lantern bugs (Insecta: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoridae) by PIOTR NASKRECKI1 & KENJI NISHIDA2

http://www.kenjinishida.net/publication ... ae%20s.pdf
NACairns
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Joined: December 30th, 2013, 7:27 am

Re: Lanternflies & Trophobiosis

Post by NACairns »

Very cool, snails too. Thanks for the info.
Look forward to your next post.
Nick
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