homoptera is a suborder of order hemiptera that is considered by some taxonomists to be paraphyletic , and therefore deprecated ( obsolete ) .

it was therefore split into the suborders sternorrhyncha , auchenorrhyncha , and coleorrhyncha .

the earlier work was based on nuclear dna , but more recent phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial dna suggest that homoptera may be a monophyletic group after all , a sister group of heteroptera .

the cause of the disparity in the analyses is suggested to be the long branch attraction effect in phylogenetic analysis , due to rapidly evolving dna regions .

the homoptera include the aphids , scale insects , cicadas , and leafhoppers , which all have sucking mouthparts .

homoptera

homoptera <EOT> closely related to heteroptera . ( heteroptera and homoptera are suborders of order hemiptera )

the insect suborder homoptera includes cicadas , hoppers , psyllids , whiteflies , aphids and scale insects . here are a few facts about insects belonging to the suborder homoptera :

and have commercial value . most members of the homoptera fall into one of two large groups ; the

male and female ( with scale cover ) san jose scale ( quadraspidiotus perniciosus ; order homoptera ) .

the order homoptera is divided into a number of families . some families containing important agricultural pests are :

all homoptera are exclusively plant feeders and some species have been used in the biological control of weeds .

occurs in most groups of homoptera , with males and females often coloured differently . for example , the male leafhopper

adults are the largest of homoptera and do serious damage to trees by boring into them to lay their eggs .

historically the homoptera were a suborder of the hemiptera ( true bugs ) . they were characterised by the uniform structure of their wings .

design by oleg ko " homoptera , " microsoft¨ encarta¨ online encyclopedia 2009 urltoken © 1997 - 2009 microsoft corporation . all rights reserved .

however , recent studies on the genetic relationship between the groups within the homoptera has shown that they are more distinct than previously thought . as a result , the suborder homoptera should no longer be used and the insects within it have been reclassified in to three new suborders :

two large groups of homoptera are ( 1 ) the cicadas and leafhoppers , and ( 2 ) the aphids , scale insects and mealybugs .

the invertebrates that transmit virus diseases resembling viruses are primarily homoptera , acarina ( excluding spider mites ) , thysanoptera and some orthoptera , hemiptera and coleoptera .

homoptera are among the most abundant herbivores found in terrestrial habitats . many species are pests of cultivated plants . aphids and leafhoppers are important carriers of plant diseases .

the name homoptera , derived from the greek " homo - " meaning uniform and " ptera " meaning wings , refers to the uniform texture of the front wings .

the hemiptera and homoptera are large orders of insects with too many species to cover in this book . below are examples of a few of the more commonly encountered species .

honeydew , an excretory product that is rich in sugars and amino acids , is produced by many species of homoptera . other animals use honeydew as a source of food .

dna evidence shows a close relationship to the hemiptera , so that eventually the homoptera may be once again grouped together with the hemiptera as they have been under heteroptera earlier .

cicadellidae ( leafhoppers ) - - this is the largest family of homoptera and includes many pests of cultivated plants . leafhoppers are important carriers of plant diseases - - especially mycoplasmas .

‘this is common in many insect groups , most notably the hemiptera / homoptera ( waterstriders , planthoppers and aphids ) , coleoptera and , orthoptera ( crickets and grasshoppers ) . ’

a photograph of the froghopper cercopis vulnerata - this insect would previously have been placed in the suborder homoptera but is now in the suborder auchenorrhyncha . photograph by richard bartz licensed under creative commons .

‘this has since been found to be a wolbachia - induced trait in a wide diversity of arthropod orders , including acarina , coleoptera , homoptera , hymenoptera , isoptera , lepidoptera , and orthoptera . ’

‘around the outside lights i ' m still seeing antlions and owlflies along with an assortment of small carabid beetles , tiny homoptera , crickets , grasshoppers and occasionally a large dragonfly spends the night . ’

cicadidae ( cicadas ) - - nymphs live underground where they feed on the roots of trees and shrubs . adults are the largest members of the homoptera . males produce loud songs to attract a mate .

‘diets of little brown myotis and eastern pipistrelles were highly diverse , consuming an even proportion of six orders of insects including coleoptera , hemiptera , lepidoptera , homoptera , diptera , hymenoptera , and tricoptera . ’

all members of the suborder homoptera have piercing / sucking mouthparts and feed by withdrawing sap from vascular plants . the proboscis is shorter than that found in true bugs ( suborder heteroptera ) , and it emerges near the ventral posterior margin of the head capsule ( opistognathous ) . although some homoptera are secondarily wingless , the majority have membranous or uniformly textured wings that fold tent - like over the body at rest .

‘to date , 10 insect orders , homoptera , heteroptera , lepidoptera , coleoptera , hymenoptera , diptera , odonata , isoptera , orthoptera , and dictyoptera , have been recorded to be hosts of cordyceps species . ’

the term ' homoptera ' should now only be used as a popular term for plant - feeding hemiptera ( for example : aphids , leafhoppers , whiteflies etc . ) and should not be used to refer to a suborder .

…scaly excreta of coccids ( homoptera ) on tamarisk or larch trees is the source of manna in the sinai desert . coccids were once the source of the crimson dye kermes . the cochineal , or carmine , from dactylopius scale insects found…

is sometimes included within the hemiptera , even though they lack the toughened areas on the first pair of wings . some entomologists group both hemiptera and homoptera within the group heteroptera ; others use the name heteroptera for what we have called the hemiptera and use hemiptera for the heteroptera . confused ? so are we . anyway , the homoptera have the dubious distinction of being probably the most destructive insects of all . they include aphids , leafhoppers , cicadas , and scale insects : 45 , 000 species in all .

…or rhynchota ) , with two suborders homoptera and heteroptera separated traditionally by texture and resting position of the forewings and by the apparent origin of the beak . other entomologists , while recognizing the proximity of relationship between these two groups , consider that the relationship is of superorder value and that features separating…

although homoptera species are distributed throughout the world , the relative numbers of individual species vary in a given locale . only one cicadid species is known in great britain , and fewer than 12 in all of europe . however , more than 200 cicadid species are known in north america , and about 180 in australia .

the homoptera are close relatives of the hemiptera and also have piercing - sucking mouthparts . in contrast to the hemiptera , homopteran mouthparts arise further back on the underside of the head . those forms that have wings have ones that are uniform in structure , hence their name , homoptera , meaning “samewing . ” also unlike the hemiptera , these insects hold their wings roof - like over their backs . all are plant feeders and most have incomplete metamorphosis . many families within this order have very strange and complex life cycles with both sexual and asexual generations , winged and wingless generations , as well as individuals with much reduced , highly specialized structures .

the homoptera includes a large number of different forms ranging in size from the usually microscopic coccidae to the large tropical lantern bugs ( fulgoridae ) and the cicadas , which may attain 5 cm . in length and with a wing expanse of 10 cm . with the cicadas are the leafhoppers , treehoppers and froghoppers , all active insects .

…adult or immature heteroptera and homoptera ( the true bugs and other plant - sucking insects ) . many insects , especially lepidopterans , are specialists , feeding only on a specific species , genus , or family of plants . on the other hand , orthopterans ( grasshoppers , katydids , crickets , and roaches ) can be more indiscriminate feeders . mammalian herbivores include spiny rats , …

homoptera , order of plant - feeding insects with membranous wings and piercing , sucking mouthparts . they are closely related to the true bugs . about 45 , 000 species are known . among the most familiar are the aphids , cicadas , leafhoppers , and scale insects . the range of size and shape of homopterans is great . most undergo incomplete metamorphosis . there are usually two pairs of wings . many species are destructive to crops and orchards .

in most of the homoptera , a portion of the digestive system is modified into a filter chamber . this structure allows the insects to ingest and process large volumes of plant sap . excess water , sugars , and certain amino acids bypass most of the midgut and are shunted directly into the hindgut for excretion as honeydew . only a small volume of filtered plant sap passes through the midgut for digestion and absorption . many species of ants are attracted by the honeydew and provide care and protection for the homopterans in exchange for the honeydew they excrete .

) . the female digs a burrow in well drained soil , stings a cicada until it ceases to struggle , places it in the bottom of the burrow , lays her eggs on the cicada , covers the burrow , and dies . the larvae develop on the cicada , remain in the burrow until the following spring or summer , and emerge as adult wasps . other wasps also burrow in the soil and provision their burrows with one or more kinds of homoptera , particularly leafhoppers , planthoppers , or treehoppers . aphid wasps use the same method of provisioning their nests , while squareheaded wasps usually use leafhoppers of one species to provision burrows in decomposed wood .

, or lacewing larva , a chrysopid with mandibles like the ladybird larva . however , instead of chewing the aphids , the aphidlion larva inserts its mandibles into the body of the aphid and sucks fluids through a channel or groove on the inside of its mandible . green winged adult aphidlions lay eggs in aphid colonies , placing them on stalks , so that when the young larvae hatch , there is an adequate food supply nearby . most larvae of the chamaemyiids ( i . e . , aphidflies ) feed on aphids , scale insects , and mealybugs . the larvae of drosophila known as pomace flies , are predacious on mealybugs and other small homoptera , and the larvae of a few gall midges ( i . e . , cecidomyiids ) prey on aphids and scale insects . certain diptera have parasitic larvae that feed on the internal tissues of homopterans including certain scale insects , leafhoppers , and planthoppers . some moth larvae are parasites of fulgorids , while other larvae are internal parasites of female gall - like coccids of the genus

plants . many homopterans cause injuries or destruction to plants , including fruit trees and grain crops , and can be vectors of plant diseases . a few provide secretions or other products that are

inch ) in length . there are certain species of cicadas in borneo and java , however , that are 8 cm ( 3 . 1 inches ) long with wingspreads of 20 cm ( 7 . 9 inches ) . the large

can attain this size also . on the other hand , some of the tiniest scale insects are only 0 . 5 mm ( 0 . 02 inch ) in length .

the abundance of any species in a given environment depends upon the biotic potential of the insect , the abundance of the food plant , and other factors favourable for development of large populations . certain species never reproduce in excessive numbers , while others , considered pests , produce many offspring . insect species that feed on available crops or other plants present in quantities sufficient to support them normally develop large populations ; for example , the oyster shell scale ( lepidosaphes ulmi ) on fruit trees and ornamentals ; the greenbug ( toxoptera graminum ) on wheat ; and the potato leafhopper ( empoasca fabae ) on potatoes , beans , and alfalfa . grape leafhoppers ( erythroneura ) frequently develop large populations that result in heavy plant losses .

homopterans , because all species feed on sap sucked from plants , often cause injuries or destruction to the plants that nourish them . when such plants are cultivated crops ( e . g . , grains or fruit trees ) or valued ornamentals , the economic loss resulting from infestations is severe . in addition , some homopteran species act as vectors of virus - and bacteria - caused diseases of their plant hosts . the check exerted upon insect pests by other insects is an important mechanism of natural control of populations . predacious insects feed on small , weak species ; parasitic insects live on or in a host and feed at its expense . aphids , for example , are parasitized principally by members of the hymenoptera ; two important aphid predators are ladybird beetles and lacewings . pests also may be controlled by chemical and biological methods ( e . g . , development of resistant plants , as with european grapevines ) .

the homopterans are responsible for injuring numerous plants of economic importance . cicadas or dogday harvestflies , sometimes mistakenly called locusts , are well - known pests that have an annual life cycle . they are characterized by their large size and the strident song of the male . periodical cicadas emerge every 13 or 17 years in

, swarm in trees , mate , and lay eggs in green twigs . permanent damage to

slits ; when the weakened twigs mature into fruit - bearing limbs , they break under the weight of the fruit , and the crop is lost . failures of this sort can be avoided by not planting young fruit trees in years of

leafhoppers cause various types of plant injury by interfering with the normal physiology of the plant . the

of the potato leafhopper , for example , causes leaf cell hypertrophy that impairs transport of sugars . the resulting sugar accumulation in the leaves destroys chlorophyll and causes the leaves to turn brown and die . this injury , termed “hopper burn , ” can result in complete loss of a

crop if not controlled . another type of injury is caused by leafhoppers that feed upon plant mesophyll tissue . in addition to removing excessive amounts of sap , these insects also destroy the plant’s chlorophyll , resulting in yellow spots on the leaves , which eventually turn yellow or brown .

reduce growth and foliage function and cause formation of grapes that are inferior in size , colour , flavour , and sugar content . plants also are injured when insects lay eggs in green twigs . the egg punctures of several leafhoppers and treehoppers reduce the flexibility of plant limbs . plant stunting and severe curling of leaves occur when the leafhopper

growth . this leafhopper also feeds on alfalfa and causes leaves to turn yellow and drop off . in the same way , aphids and mealybugs cause leaf curling on potatoes and many ornamental plants , and the potato psyllid feeds on potato leaves and causes curling and yellowing known as “potato yellows . ”

the froghoppers , often called spittlebugs because immature stages live in spittlelike masses , feed on a variety of plants . one important species , the

and causes severe stunting that can result in loss of up to 50 percent of a crop . scale insects , unless parasitized , produce enormous populations on green twigs , young limbs , leaves , and fruit ; when tree bark or shrubs become encrusted with one or more layers of scales , the entire plant often dies . damage is caused to

by the rosy apple aphid . females of the third seasonal generation remain on the apple leaves until after small apples have formed . many aphids crawl onto these tiny apples and puncture them causing dimpling of the fruit and normal incision of tiny apples . the cluster of apples , known as aphid apples , are small and gnarled .

( sooty mold ) grows in each droplet . the apples become black spotted and are no longer marketable . many other homopterans also produce honeydew , with

on twigs in tropical and subtropical regions . the lac is refined and used in preparing

secreted by aphids and scale insects are used in candlemaking , medicines , and candies .

for the children of israel . the females produce large quantities of honeydew that solidify in thick layers on plant leaves in arid regions . this sugarlike material , still collected by natives of arabia and iraq , is considered a great delicacy . the term manna often refers to plant products also . certain species of scale insects produce a gum that was used as

by tribes of north american indians . female root - inhabiting scale insects ( species of

) enclose their bodies in gold and bronze coloured wax cysts that are used in strings of beads . certain colour patterns and designs of the forewings of tropical species of leafhoppers and planthoppers have been used in artwork by various peoples . for many generations the mexican indians have used a black , white , and red colour design in their art . the design is that of the forewings of a brilliantly coloured

the scales of several species of scale insects , including the old world kermes and new world cochineal , have been used to produce red dyes for clothing , foods , and medicines and in emulsions to colour film .

generally , homopterans are bisexual , with mating occurring prior to the production of eggs . however , individual life cycles vary in length and complexity .

is simple or gradual , with immature stages resembling adults except that the latter usually have wings . the life cycles of most homopterans are short . a typical example is the common

, which has one generation a year . eggs are laid in late summer on stems or sheaths of host plants and hatch the following spring . over the next 4 to 6 weeks , the larvae develop into adults and begin producing eggs that will overwinter .

the life cycle of three species of periodical cicadas is the longest known for insects , lasting 17 years . in the temperate zone enormous numbers of orange - winged adults emerge in spring , when male “singing” to attract females for mating can be extremely loud . after mating , using her strong ovipositor , the female cuts deeply into green twigs and through the harder wood of deciduous trees where she inserts 12 to 14 eggs through drilled slots into each of two chambers separated by a thin partition of wood . the female drills slots until she has deposited a total of 400 to 600 eggs . injury to these trees can be severe , with branches usually dying beyond the point of egg insertion . although eggs may be deposited in some 75 different kinds of trees or shrubs , the females prefer hickory , oak , apple , peach , pear , and grape .

magicicada , the genus containing the 13 - and 17 - year cicadas of eastern north america .

) have cycles that involve passing the winter as eggs inserted in apple twigs . other leafhoppers , however , such as

, winters as an adult in desert areas and produces an early spring generation on desert plants . as desert plants become unfavourable for feeding , the leafhoppers migrate to available cultivated plants where from one to four summer generations are produced . when the crop is harvested or the plants become unfavourable for feeding , the leafhoppers return to desert plants . although definite alternation of desert and cultivated host plants occurs in this life cycle , no specific plant serves as a primary or secondary host . plant selection by migrating leafhoppers is determined largely by the amount of rainfall and succulence of both wild and cultivated plants . while most species have one generation a year , a few have two or three . the life cycle of planthoppers and fulgorids is similar to that of leafhoppers , while the pear psylla ,

the whiteflies , common on citrus trees and in greenhouse plants , do not survive winter out of doors in the north but produce several generations a year in the south . the metamorphosis of whiteflies varies from the typical gradual form . in the first instar ( interval between molts ) the young are active , wingless forms and are usually called larvae . during three subsequent instars , the immature insects become sessile and scalelike and are called nymphs . during these three instars , internal wing development occurs . the molt from last larval instar to pupa occurs inside the last larval skin , which forms a puparium . at this point , whitefly metamorphosis is essentially complete .

the scale insects also have modified life cycles . for example , the oyster shell scale , lepidosaphes ulmi , typically passes the winter as an egg beneath a secreted scale covering , whereas the san jose scale quadraspidiotus perniciosus produces living young . in either case newborn young , called crawlers , leave the scale covering to search for food . after a few days they molt , losing their legs , antennae , and anal spines , and retaining poorly developed eyes . they secrete a hard scale about their soft bodies , insert their mouthparts into a plant , and remain sessile . as the females mature , they increase in size , enlarging the scale covering periodically , but do not change form or develop wings .

young males also have a crawler stage but become sessile and inactive after the second molt , passing through a more complete metamorphosis beneath the scale covering . the last preadult instar has two external wings and is called the pupa . adult males have two wings and two small knobs or halteres where the second pair of wings would normally develop . some males have three pairs of eyes . adult males seek out wingless females , concealed beneath the scale covering , and mate with them . as many as three males may mate simultaneously with one female .

reproduction is bisexual among the homopterans , although asexual reproduction occurs in the aphids , in a few primitive leafhoppers , and possibly in species whose life cycles are not known in detail . an unusual situation occurs in the normally hermaphroditic cottony cushion scale icerya purchasi , in which both male and female sexual organs are present in one individual and the eggs of any individual may be fertilized by its own sperm .

in the auchenorrhyncha , eggs are laid by the female , who uses an egg - laying structure , the ovipositor , to insert eggs into plant tissue . in the sternorrhyncha ( e . g . , aphids ) the female places her eggs on the surface of the plant . the eggs of scale insects are retained in the body of the female or remain under the scale covering if separated from the female . in mealybugs and certain “cottony” scales , eggs are extruded from the body and remain in a mass enclosed by waxy plates or shreds . in most homopterans , each female produces a few hundred eggs . exceptions occur in some scale insects ( e . g . , cottony maple scale ) where a female may lay 5 , 000 eggs .

growth is gradual and is accompanied by periodic molting . the nymphal stages , or instars , between egg and adult usually number five in leafhoppers and related species . wings , if present , develop when the fifth instar molts and the adult emerges .

, a species common on cane , is orange , and the female is milk white . size and form also vary between males and females . the male marsh leafhopper

is not only a different colour than the female but also only half as long . in treehoppers the

( the dorsal sclerite of the prothorax ) often is so different in shape and size between the two sexes that they appear to be two species . examples of this are

in appearance that previous knowledge is necessary to associate two sexes of the same species . most homopterans lack defense mechanisms , however , one

every insect lives in a habitat defined by specific physical , chemical , and biological conditions . if these conditions are changed sufficiently , the insect cannot survive and will either migrate to available acceptable conditions or perish . temperature and humidity are important climatic factors in determining geographical regions and local habitats of specific homopterans . the distribution of homopterans is influenced also by conditions that favour distribution of host plants .

plant distribution is determined largely by rainfall - evaporation ratios ; insects with specific host relationships occur in the same regions where the plants are found . other climatic factors may limit the insect to a smaller range within the host plant range ; for example , selection of food plants by the desert species of

depends on the abundance of rainfall during one season . host plants of a given species may be closely related , as legumes on which eggs are deposited and adults live ; or the life cycle may be divided between alternate unrelated host plants . the fact that most species are specific in their plant relationships determines habitats such as swamp , marsh , bog , meadow , prairie , desert , deciduous or

moisture or humidity relationships also affect the habitats of homopterans . the eggs of most auchenorrhynchans are deposited in tender plant stems or in the undersides of leaf ribs or veins . thus , the incubation period is passed in saturated humidity . after hatching , the nymphs feed on the undersurface of the leaf and remain in high relative humidity since most of the stomata , through which transpiration occurs , are on the undersurface . a reduction in relative humidity due to reduced transpiration can destroy large field populations . certain leafhopper and fulgorid species , although they are not adapted for aquatic life , can live on plants and produce normal populations under conditions of periodic tidal submergence , even in cold waters .

insect galls , abnormal growths of plant tissue , are caused usually by the mechanical or chemical stimulus of egg laying in plant tissue and by subsequent activities of the hatching young . the young usually live and feed inside the gall and complete their development before emerging . some 60 species of homopterans , including aphids , psyllids , and coccids , cause plant galls , although aphids are responsible for a majority of them . galls frequently seen on foliage include aphid leaf galls , caused by the grape phylloxera phylloxera vitifoliae ; the leaf petiole gall of poplar , caused by the aphid pemphigus populitransversus ; and the elm cockscomb gall on elm leaves , caused by the aphid colopha ulmicola . different species cause the formation of different types of plant galls .

or use them to provision their nests . colonies of aphids and scale insects are prey for several kinds of ladybird beetles . female beetles lay their eggs on leaves or twigs where aphids are feeding . when the beetle eggs hatch , the larvae feed upon the homopterans in the colony using chewing mandibles . one larva of

can consume 300 aphids in a two week developmental period , while the adult female devours several thousand aphids in her three month life . certain species of flower flies or syrphids also commonly lay their eggs on leaves or twigs where colonies of aphids are feeding . the hatching larvae thrust their piercing mouth structures into the bodies of the aphids and devour them by extracting

among the hymenoptera , certain wasps are parasites of planthoppers , leafhoppers , and treehoppers . the larvae of dryinid wasps develop internally in the host although part of the body of the larva protrudes from the body of the host , forming a saclike structure between the abdominal and thoracic segments . most encyrtid

are parasites of aphids , scale insects , and whiteflies . the female eulophid wasp develops as a parasite of scale insects , while the male , developing as a hyperparasite , attacks parasites of the scale insects ( often females of its own species ) . the thamid wasps have habits similar to those of the eulophids in that both parasitize scale insects and whiteflies or are hyperparasites of chalcid wasps that parasitize homopterans .

. they paralyze homopterans by stinging them , then store them in burrows , lay eggs , and rear young using the homopterans as food . best known of these is the large

many species of adult and young aphids are subterranean and feed on the roots of plants . in some species the alternate food plant is no longer used , and the aphids no longer develop wings . some entire colonies spend years below the surface of the soil ; other species spend most of each year underground ; and a few species appear above ground , locate a new host plant , and immediately seek roots . the woolly aphid can live indefinitely on the roots of apple trees but can exist only part of the year on elm , the alternate host . the

strawberry root louse has a sexual cycle in which eggs are laid , but these aphids are dependent upon ants for survival . the ants not only care for the eggs in their nests but they also carry the young aphids from plant to plant . in some subterranean aphids the sexual cycle , and with it the egg - laying stage , has disappeared entirely . subterranean aphids have no predators and few parasites . other root feeders are young cicadas , certain young cercopids , some cixiid nymphs of the fulgorids , and immature stages of a few leafhoppers .

the homopterans and heteropterans , here classified as separate orders , sometimes are considered as suborders of an order hemiptera . both groups have piercing - sucking mouthparts ; for this reason , they are thought to be closely related to each other . some entomologists , however , consider distinguishing features other than the mouthparts…

insect , ( class insecta or hexapoda ) , any member of the largest class of the phylum arthropoda , which is itself the largest of the animal phyla . insects have segmented bodies , jointed legs , and external skeletons ( exoskeletons ) . insects are distinguished from other arthropods by their body , which is divided into three major regions : …

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among the larger and more familiar representatives of this order are the cicadas . these musical insects are prevalent during the summer months and are usually first heard during the hot dry days of june before the monsoons . most of us are probably familiar with the song , a loud buzzing noise emanating from a tree or shrub . males sing to attract mates and can be very hard to locate since they usually stop singing as you approach their perch . an observant person is probably more familiar with the brown husks of exoskeleton left by nymphs when they emerge as adults . there are several species of cicadas in the sonoran desert region , with one of the most common species at lower elevations being the apache cicada ( diceroprocta apache ) . adults emerge in june , feed on plant sap , mate , and insert their eggs just under the surface of plant stems . these eggs hatch , and the larvae drop to the ground and dig into the soil to feed on the roots of various plants . in their underground homes , nymphs live and feed for 3 or more years before emerging as adults .

females , like most other homopterans , have incomplete metamorphosis , but males pupate within a tiny silken cocoon before emerging as adults .

cochineals’ claim to fame is that their bodies contain a substance called carminic acid that produces a beautiful red dye . native peoples from the southwest , mexico , and south america harvested these insects for the dye . europeans discovered the dye when conquering the new world and the valuable product made many of them rich . up to that time , most red dyes came from plant material . cochineal , however , not only produced a superior red hue , but also withstood the effects of sun and washing much better than did the plant - derived dyes . cochineal dye fell out of favor with the advent of synthetic dyes developed in the mid 1800s . however , it is making a comeback , as the more subtle hues of natural dyes are regaining popularity . it is also currently being used as a food and pharmaceutical dye , particularly since many of the synthetic food dyes have proven to be toxic . look for cochineal or carmine on the labels of pink - and red - colored foods and medicines at the grocery store .

other familiar homopterans are the aphids or plant lice . most of us have encountered large groups of these little creatures feasting on the fleshy stems of herbaceous plants in the spring and summer . these tiny insects have very interesting and complex life cycles . most species survive the winter as eggs and then hatch into females in the spring . these new females then begin to reproduce asexually on their host plants—which differ depending on the species of aphid—forming small colonies of clones . in many species , the colony eventually produces winged forms that fly off to a second host plant ( sometimes a completely different plant species ) and continue to reproduce . when fall approaches , winged forms migrate back to the original species of host plant and produce both males and females which mate and lay the overwintering eggs . an easy - to - recognize species that occurs in our area is the milkweed aphid , aphis nerii . these beautiful aphids are bright yellow with black legs and antennae ; they are found on various species of milkweed in the spring and summer months .

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it is difficult to generalize about the biology of these insects . cicadas are the largest members of the suborder . as nymphs , they live underground and feed on the roots of trees and shrubs . some species complete development in as little as four years , but others have a 13 - or 17 - year life cycle . in contrast , the aphids are tiny , soft - bodied insects with multiple generations per year . many species have complex life cycles involving more than one host plant . winged and wingless forms of the same species may develop at different times of the year . asexual reproduction ( parthenogenesis ) is common and males are unknown in some species . the scale insects are even more specialized . during much of their life cycle , they remain immobile , living beneath an impervious cover of wax or cuticle that they secrete over themselves . legs and antennae often disappear after the first molt . only newly hatched nymphs and adult males bear any resemblence to other insects . females grow to sexual maturity , mate , produce offspring , and die without ever leaving their protective cover .

membracidae ( treehoppers ) - - ecologically similar to leafhoppers , these insects have a large pronotum that extends over most of the body . they often resemble thorns or small twigs .

cercopidae ( spittlebugs or froghoppers ) - - nymphs live on plant stems and produce a frothy defensive secretion around themselves . adults are similar to leafhoppers in size and general appearance .

fulgoridae ( planthoppers ) - - this is one of eleven families classified as planthoppers ( superfamily fulgoroidea ) . these insects are ecologically similar to leafhoppers and treehoppers . many species are oddly shaped and cryptically colored .

psyllidae ( psyllids or jumping plant lice ) - - small , aphid - like insects with 3 - segmented beaks and 10 segmented antennae . many species are covered with a woolly layer of wax .

aleyrodidae ( whiteflies ) - - body and wings of adults are covered with a white powdery wax . nymphs attach to the undersides of leaves and become immobile , resembling scale insects .

aphididae ( aphids , plantlice ) - - second largest family in the suborder homptera . many of these insects are pests of cultivated plants . aphids are considered the most important carriers of viral plant diseases .

coccidae ( soft scale insects ) - - this is one of 17 families that make up the superfamily coccoidea ( scale insects and mealybugs ) . most species are sedentary during most of their life cycle and secreate a protective covering over their bodies . these insects are among the most common pests of cultivated plants .

a scale insect , laccifer lacca , is the source of natural shellac . the insect lives on various fig trees in the tropics .

dactylopius coccus , the cochineal insect , is the source of a bright red dye formerly used in the textile industry . it is a scale insect that lives on prickly pear cacti .

aphids in the subfamily pemphiginae are gall - makers . the galls are usually open at one end so the insects can come and go freely .

the ground pearls ( family margarodidae ) are a group of scale insects that live on plant roots . in some tropical species , the females form large wax cysts , often bronze or gold in color , that people collect and use as beads .

several groups : cicadas , hoppers , psyllids , whiteflies , aphids , scale insects .

simple metamorphosis . in whiteflies it resembles a comple metamorphosis because the last nymphal instar does not move and looks like a pupa .

many species produce honeydew . sometimes ants that feed on honeydew will protect the insects .

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most people tend to call anything with lots of legs a " bug . " however , to an entomologist , a " bug " is one of the 35 , 000 or so species of the order hemiptera .

means " half wing " and refers to the fact that part of the first pair of wings is toughened and hard , while the rest of the first pair and the second pair are membranous . hemipterans also have modified piercing and sucking mouthparts ; some suck plant juices and are plant pests , while others can bite painfully .

both hemiptera and heteroptera go back to the permian , and are fairly well - known as fossils . the picture at the top of the page depicts a group of aquatic hemipterans , i . e . water bugs , from the

carpenter , f . m . 1992 . treatise on invertebrate paleontology . part r . arthropoda 4 , volume 3 : superclass hexapoda . geological society of america and university of kansas , boulder , colorado and lawrence , kansas .

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a group of true bugs comprising those in which the forewings are uniform in texture . plant bugs such as aphids , whitefly , scale insects , and cicadas belong to this group .

modern latin ( plural ) , from homo - ‘equal’ + greek pteron ‘wing’ .

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ie . , having a 17 - year cycle . the eggs are injected into holes in twigs of trees , and the nymphs hatching from them fall to the ground into which they burrow to feed on the roots . after about 17 years of nymphal growth a stage resembling a pupa is passed through before emergence of the adult ( derived and updated from

plant lice ( aphididae ) are noted for their wide distribution and for their rapid reproduction , and transparent wings . the tarsus is 2 - jointed , that of the coccidae being 1 - jointed . wax - secreting cornicles are located dorsally on the abdomen .

in the coccidae the reproductive phenomena are of much economic importance . a comparatively simple life cycle is that of

as eggs , which are laid in the autumn by fertilized females . in spring these eggs give rise to wingless viviparous parthenogenetic females . a variable number of these parthenogenetic generations is passed through in the summer , then winged parthenogenetic females appear that migrate to another host plant ( the bean

from these there now appear oviparous females to copulate with winged males , that are migrants from the secondary host plant , the bean .

fertilized eggs are laid in autumn that give rise to wingless viviparous parthenogenetic females .

these then give rise to winged migrant parthenogenetic females and wingless parthenogenetic viviparous females .

some of these give rise to winged viviparous females that in turn give rise to wingless oviparous females .

the notorious pest of vineyards , the life cycle is more complicated and involves migrations between root and stem of the host plant . the reproductive capacity of these insects is extraordinary but is kept down by the number of enemies they possess .

the cyclical reproductive phenomena in aphids leads to important questions relating to the differences between sexual and parthenogenetic individuals , and to the environmental conditions determining the occurrence of these phases in any life cycle .

fertilized eggs produce only parthenogenetic females . these multiply by diploid parthenogenesis , i . e . the eggs retain the full complement of chromosomes and are not capable of fertilization . eventually there come individuals capable of bearing sexual forms ,

the sexual forms arising from these produce haploid germ cells that have undergone normal reduction . fertilization then will restore diploid parthenogenesis . sexual differences are indicated in the chromosomes ; the female of

has six , of which two are sex chromosomes ; the male only five , one only being a sex chromosome . however , sexual reproduction leads only to the production of parthenogenetic females and

to males and females in equal numbers , as might be expected . this appears to be due to the fact that in the maturation of sperms , those with only two chromosomes die . fertilization is always between sperms and ova each with three chromosomes , of which in each case two are normal chromosomes

the capacity of females with six chromosomes to produce male offspring with only five is due to the fact that in the maturation of male - producing parthenogenetic eggs , reduction in the number of chromosomes only affects the sex ( x ) chromosomes , one remaining in the egg , the other going to the polar body . in this way a parthenogenetic female with six chromosomes , i . e . 4 +

gives rise to males with only five , i . e . 4 + x ( derived and updated from

they have membranous or leathery wings , but it is possible to trace venation to the base .

the mouthparts are beak - like and appear to arise from the front legs .

the cicada has the longest life cycle of any insect , and there is a great diversity in dwelling places .

are noted for their high - pitched call , which is made only by the male and is used to attract females .

all cicadas have a rather broad head and prominent eyes with three glossy , beadlike ocelli between .

they feed on herbaceous plants and some species have different hosts in different parts of the life cycle .

for example , oak in springtime , goldenrod in summer and oak again in autumn .

this is beat up and mixed with air by action of the hind legs .

these insects become free living as adults when they resemble some leafhoppers very closely , but can be distinguished by having spines on the apex of the hind tibia . .

feed on plants in all stages and many are very economically important pests . these insects are characterized by long , slender wings , which are held roof - like above their body .

they are very active as jumpers due to their enlarged tibia , and the nymphs are agile and can run sideways . the hind legs have a double row of spines and not a single circular row as in spittlebugs .

, which have a virus incubation period that can last a year or more . the beet leafhopper migrates and transmits

the toxic effect is not only from their saliva but also due to their feeding on the vascular parts of plants ( xylem and phloem ) .

they have complex life histories with winged and wingless forms and one or more hosts .

they prefer to feed mostly on tender shoots of rapidly growing plants , but will also feed at other sites even on the roots .

besides causing direct injury to plants some species are also able to transmit plant viruses , which occur on their mouthparts as contaminants .

when dropping onto plants various molds grow on it , which will damage plants .

ants will care for aphids and extract honeydew from them by caressing them with their antennae .

if the winter host is a tree the alternate host will often be an herbaceous plant .

if conditions become crowded on the alternate host , winged generations may be produced , which are all females .

these fly to another plant that may be the same or a different species of herbaceous plant .

in the autumn , there is a migration back to the winter host plant .

also in autumn the female may produce several generations on the reinvaded winter host .

she may mate with the male and then go through an egg - laying phase that overwinters .

are primarily tropical and subtropical insects that secrete a wax covering over their body , which protects them from external environmental conditions .


astele allanae is a species of sea snail , a marine gastropod mollusk in the family calliostomatidae .

it was named in honour of joyce allan .

some authors place this taxon in the subgenus astele ( coralastele )

astele allanae

astele allanae <EOT> have a fact about astele allanae ? write it here to share it with the entire community .

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species astele pulcherrima ( g . b . sowerby iii , 1914 ) accepted as coralastele pulcherrima ( g . b . sowerby iii , 1914 )

nomenclature astele is sometimes treated as neuter , but swainson ( 1855 ) treated it as feminine when he named it , and " stele " . . .

nomenclature astele is sometimes treated as neuter , but swainson ( 1855 ) treated it as feminine when he named it , and " stele " ( στήλη ) is feminine in greek according to the dictionary at www . perseus . tufts . edu . [ details ]

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( of eutrochus a . adams , 1864 ) adams a . ( 1864 ) . description of a new genus and twelve new species of mollusca . proceedings of the zoological society of london . ( 1863 ) : 506 - 509 . , available online at urltoken page ( s ) : 506 [ details ]

( of calliostoma ( eutrochus ) a . adams , 1864 ) dall w . h . 1889 . reports on the results of dredging , under the supervision of alexander agassiz , in the gulf of mexico ( 1877 - 78 ) and in the caribbean sea ( 1879 - 80 ) , by the u . s . coast survey steamer " blake " , lieut . - commander c . d . sigsbee , u . s . n . , and commander j . r . bartlett , u . s . n . , commanding . xxix . report on the mollusca . part 2 , gastropoda and scaphopoda . bulletin of the museum of comparative zoölogy at harvard college , 18 : 1 - 492 , pls . 10 - 40 . , available online at urltoken [ details ]

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( a . adams in h . adams & a . adams , 1854 ) [

iredale t . ( 1930 ) . queensland molluscan notes , no . 2 . memoirs of the queensland museum . 10 ( 1 ) : 73 - 88 , pl . 9 . , available online at urltoken page ( s ) : 76 , pl . 9 fig . 5 [ details ]

marshall , b . a . ( 1995 ) . calliostomatidae ( gastropoda : trochoidea ) from new caledonia , the loyalty islands , and the northern lord howe rise . in : bouchet , p . ( ed . ) résultats des campagnes musorstom 14 . mémoires du muséum national d ' histoire naturelle . série a , zoologie . 167 : 381 - 458 . ( look up in imis ) [ details ]

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the moustached antpitta ( grallaria alleni ) is a species of bird placed in the family grallariidae .

it is found in colombia and ecuador .

its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests .

it is threatened by habitat loss .

moustached antpitta

moustached antpitta <EOT> information on the moustached antpitta is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .

the rare moustached antpitta comes to worms . - picture of paz de las aves bird refuge , mindo

the rare moustached antpitta comes to worms . - picture of paz de las aves bird refuge , mindo - tripadvisor

embed this arkive thumbnail link ( " portlet " ) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href = " urltoken " title = " arkive species - moustached antpitta ( grallaria alleni ) " > < img src = " urltoken " alt = " arkive species - moustached antpitta ( grallaria alleni ) " title = " arkive species - moustached antpitta ( grallaria alleni ) " border = " 0 " / > < / a >

week of 14 - 20 february 2010 : best birds observed and reported include plumbeous hawk along road , rufescent screech - owl behind guest house , spot - fronted swifts , white - faced nunbird photographed along nunbird ridge trail , yellow - breasted antpitta along sr . tim´s trail , moustached antpitta photographed nest , two eggs and adult on nest , giant antpitta calling , tyrannine woodcreeper , beautiful jay ( 3 observed ) , toucan barbet daily , plate - billed mountain - toucan daily , powerful woodpecker daily .

giant , moustached and yellow - breasted antpittas heard regularly and the latter two seen along sister´s loop and señor tim´s trails ; giant antpitta photographed in the lower part of the reserve ; chestnut - crowned antpitta vocal and abundant on the upper part of the reserve ; ocellated tapaculo heard occasionally ; scaled fruiteater and olivaceous piha seen near the guest houses ; beautiful jays seen every few days near the guest houses .

week of 8 - 15 january 2010 : 2 hoary pufflegs at guest house feeders , green - fronted lancebill near banana feeders , spot - fronted swifts seen daily , rufescent ( colombian ) screech - owl seen and photographed on two separate nights , olivaceous piha , 5 beautiful jays , yellow - breasted antpitta , 2 moustached antpitta observed on canyons trail and sr . tim´s trail , plus many fledgling birds .

on 25 february at 6am a beautiful male lyre - tailed nightjar was seen perched on the entry wall at the guest house . active nests of moustached and yellow - breasted antpitta were found and 3 species of tapaculo were heard behind the guest house , 3 species of woodpecker were regulars while scaled fruiteater and beautiful jay were vocal early in the morning .

week of 14 - 20 march 2010 : best mammal : spectacled bear observed on guan gulch trail at lucy´s creek behind the guest house on 15 march at 10 . 15am ! ! best birds included rufescent screech - owl ( heard ) , moustached antpitta adult feeding nestlings in the nest plus a second adult observed in a different territory ( observed ) , yellow - breasted and chestnut - crowned antpitta ( heard ) , tyrannine woodcreeper ( heard ) , white - faced nunbird ( heard ) , scaled fruiteater ( observed ) , beautiful jay ( observed ) , black - chinned mountain - tanager ( observed ) .

krabbe , n . k . & schulenberg , t . s . ( 2018 ) . moustached antpitta ( grallaria alleni ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .

eders ; common potoo photographed along brothers trail ; rufescent ( colombian ) screech - owl behind guest house ; cloud - forest pygmy - owl seen on the trail ; hook - billed kites adult pair plus juvenile seen daily near guest house ; powerful woodpecker ; plate - billed mountain - toucan - family of 3 seen daily at guest house ; yellow - breasted and moustached antpitta seen on the trails ; western hemispingus , scaled fruiteater , chestnut - capped brush - finch eating bananas at banana feeders .

pygmy - owl ( heard along road ) , mottled owl ( vocal at guest house ) , white - tailed hillstar ( at feeders ) , hoary puffleg ( at feeders ) , crested quetzal ( along guan gulch ) , yellow - vented woodpecker ( pair around guest houses ) , yellow - breasted antpitta ( observed along sr . tim´s trail ) , moustached antpitta ( observed on sister´s loop trail ) , club - winged manakin ( heard along parrot hill loop ) , golden - winged manakin ( vocal along entry trail ) , scaled fruiteater ( singing at fruit feeders ) , plushcap ( in flock behind the guest house ) , yellow - bellied siskin ( vocal around guest houses ) , plus 16 additional hummingbird species at the feeders .

december 2010 : best birds included hoary puffleg continues to be a regular at our feeders , white - tailed hillstar also at the feeders but not regularly ; total hummingbirds seen at the feeders = up to 19 species ! plate - billed mountain - toucans regularly seen and photographed from the guest house patio ; moustached and yellow - breasted antpitta very vocal throughout the reserve ; bronze - olive pygmy - tyrant , rufous - headed pygmy - tyrant and rufous - crowned tody - flycatcher abundant along trails ; as many as 4 beautiful jays seen near guest house .

black - and - chestnut eagle flying low over the upper site ; wattled guan vocal along canyons trail and santa rosa river trail ; dusky pigeon calling at lower site ; large flocks of red - pilled parrots ; crested quetzal vocal in various parts of the reserve ; group of 3 yellow - vented woodpecker near banana feeders ; tyrannine woodcreeper very vocal ; giant and yellow - breasted antpitta seen regularly ; 1 ochre - breasted antpitta seen on lower trail ; large and very active club - winged manakin lek from 1800m - 2300m ; beautiful jay seen regularly along canyons and sisters loop trails and near guest houses .

on a day of sun , cloud and mist the total number of bird species recorded at rlg was 163 species – 38 % of all the species in the entire mindo - tandayapa count area . the three new bird species for the reserve were found by the team led by marcelo quipo . the species were brown - billed scythebill , scarlet - rumped cacique and the rare , endemic and beautiful indigo flower - piercer . the team also found other rarities for the reserve including 1 scaled antpitta , ochre - breasted antpitta ( adult with fledgling ) , 1 pacific tuftedcheek , 4 orange - breasted fruiteater and 1 black - billed peppershrike . ( and a few weeks later marcelo added southern nightingale wren to our rlg bird list . )

18 cm . medium to large antpitta with white malar stripe . dark rufescent - brown above . slaty - grey crown and nape . dark brown sides of head . broad , white malar narrowly scaled black . russet throat bordered by white chest - band . olive - brown breast with few narrow white streaks . buffy - white belly . cinnamon washed flanks and undertail - coverts .

our white - faced nunbirds back to the upper part of puma trail . frog researcher jaime garcía found an active nest of slaty - backed chat - tyrant near the river and scaled fruiteaters were heard frequently throughout the upper part of the reserve . almost every day at 5 . 50am we had a pair of very raucous beautful jays at the guest houses , while yellow - vented woodpecker and yellow - bellied siskins were also regular in the nearby trees . our star birds were the several pairs of yellow - breasted antpitta , including a fledgling being fed by an adult , right on the walkways of the guest houses .

september - october 2013 : the end of summer brought enough rain to keep many birds active . best birds included : regular low fly - overs of barred parakeet , a small flock of blue - fronted parrotlet , large noisy flocks of red - billed parrot , cloud - forest pygmy - owl nesting activity , 16 species of hummingbirds at our feeders , crested quetzal nesting along parrot hill loop , vocal toucan barbets , yellow - vented woodpecker nesting near the guest house , regular views of yellow - breasted antpitta near the guest house , olivaceous piha seen regularly along sr . tim’s trail , and 14 species of tanagers at our feeding stations and bird baths .

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sacc . 2005 and updates . a classification of the bird species of south america . available at : urltoken .

whistles over 2 . 5 - 3 seconds , rapidly increasing in amplitude , then trailing off at end .

. the nominate subspecies was collected near salento , quindío , in 1911 , and has been recorded in nearby ucumarí regional park , risaralda , colombia , several times during 1994 - 2000 ( p . g . w . salaman

. 1999 , c . downing verbally 2000 , krabbe and coopmans 2000 ) . the subspecies

. 1998 ) , but it is unclear how much of this is occupied . recent surveys in ecuador found at least 4 - 6 territories along three 1 km transects ( j . f . freile

. there are several new localities where the species has been recorded in ecuador , mostly concentrated on the western slopes of pichincha province ( j . f . freile

. 2004 , 2008 ) , and the species has recently been discovered to be much commoner and more extensively distributed in colombia than previously thought ( f . g . stiles

. the paucity of earlier records is related to the fact that its vocalisations were unknown until recently .

this species is described as rare and essentially unknown ; its population is placed in the band 2 , 500 - 9 , 999 individuals . this equates to 1 , 667 - 6 , 666 mature individuals , rounded here to 1 , 500 - 7 , 000 mature individuals . trend justification : this species ' s population is suspected to be declining slowly , in line with rates of habitat loss within its range .

it occurs in wet , mossy cloud - forest , usually at 1 , 800 - 2 , 500 m in ravines or on steep slopes ( krabbe and coopmans 2000 ) . it has been seen on the ground and perched up to 3 m in the understorey ( krabbe and coopmans 2000 ) . nests with nestlings have been found in march and december ( i . e . during the wet season ) ( freile and renjifo 2003 , greeney and gelis 2006 )

and the central andes , colombia , has been logged , settled and converted to agriculture . the west andean slopes in ecuador have also been altered and fragmented , particularly in pichincha ( krabbe

. 2004 , 2008 ) . a large area of intact habitat exists on volcán sumaco in napo but , in 1990 , the human population was growing and forest clearance for agriculture was having an impact at c . 1 , 000 m and above . cueva de los guácharos is increasingly threatened by encroaching human settlement and opium production ( wege and long 1995 )

. however , the species has been shown to use secondary forest freely within parts of its colombian range and occurs in mature secondary forest at cotopaxi ( j . f . freile

is known from maquipucuna reserve ( pichincha ) , mindo protected forest , rio guajalito , cofán - bermejo and la otonga reserves , and cueva de los guácharos and possibly sumaco - napo galeras national park ( krabbe and coopmans 2000 , j . f . freile

. 2010 ) . the recently created sumaco - napo galeras national park should prevent habitat loss from reaching the altitudes inhabited by the species in napo . ucumarí regional park holds a population of the nominate subspecies and it may occur in the adjacent otún - quimbaya fauna and flora sanctuary and alto quindío acaime natural reserve , both in quindío ( krabbe and coopmans 2000 )

. on the east slope of the andes in ecuador its range is fairly well covered ( c . 60 % ) by five protected areas ( cofan - bermejo , cayambe - coca and antisana ecological reserves , and sumaco - napo galeras and llanganates national parks ) ( j . f . freile

survey ( with knowledge of its vocalisations ) areas of suitable habitat , perhaps especially on the east slope of the andes from tungurahua , ecuador north to caquetá , colombia , and also in central ecuador in the large and extensively forested sangay national park ( j . f . freile

( amended version of 2016 assessment ) . the iucn red list of threatened species 2017 : e . t22703252a110970852 .

to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .

) , version 1 . 0 . in neotropical birds online ( t . s . schulenberg , editor ) . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca , ny , usa .

salento , 7000 feet [ c . 2130 m ] , central andes , cauca , colombia

may be closely related to g . chthonia ( but see below ) . race andaquiensis browner , less grey , than nominate , with ochraceous vs whitish belly , but voice identical . two subspecies recognized .

) and w slope of c andes ( risaralda , quindío , cauca ) .

hernández & rodríguez , 1979 – head of magdalena valley , in colombia , and both slopes in n ecuador ( s to cotopaxi and napo ) .

16·5 cm ; two males 64 g and 77 g . adult has light olive - brown forecrown and slate - grey crown and nape , feathers narrowly edged blackish , white lores narrowly . . .

song 1·8–3 seconds long , given at intervals of 7–13 seconds , a series of 17 . . .

floor and dense undergrowth within 3 m of ground in wet ( mossy ) primary forest , mainly in ravines . . .

forages on the ground . in nw ecuador two adults were recorded feeding nestlings with arthropods captured on the ground on trails and forest . . .

sings from perch 0·5–3 m above ground . two nests found in the central andes of colombia and in nw ecuador were bulky . . .

vulnerable . previously listed as endangered . restricted - range species : present in colombian inter - andean slopes eba . until 1990 known from only two specimens , and feared . . .

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previously included in formicariidae , but dna studies indicate that the four genera currently included herein form a monophyletic group , whereas current members of formicariidae may be closer to some members of rhinocryptidae # r # r .

on basis of dna analysis , sister to the other three genera in this family # r # r .

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classified as vulnerable ( vu ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .

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myavibase allows you to create and manage your own lifelists , and produce useful reports to help you plan your next birding excursion .

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howard and moore 4th edition ( incl . corrigenda vol . 1 - 2 ) :

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recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : grallaria alleni . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .

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many years ago , angel paz , figured out how to coax antpittas in to a feeding station to take worms . until then , these shy denizens of the mountain forest were just about impossible to see . angel is built a modest business of showing people his beloved birds , and he puts on an excellent show . for the best chance of seeing all . . .

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a pair of plain - breasted hawks plus a tiny hawk pestered our feeder birds and caught at least some birds . most of the feeder birds quickly shifted to alert mode and have stayed hidden and / or moving quickly with mixed species flocks which come through our gardens . the birds stop only briefly to feed and especially seem to want to bathe ( including the first foliage - gleaner i have ever seen bathing in our bird baths ) .

late may - early june 2017 : at least 3 different male wattled guans heard calling a lot both in the parrot hill area and nearer the river . it is nice to know our three species of guans ( sickle - winged , wattled and crested ) are all doing well at rlg .

may 2016 : marcelo quipo documented another new bird species for rlg ( his 5th ! ) , guayaquil woodpecker , plus documented an elevational record of tawny - throated leaftosser at 2100 m ! ! ( photos below . )

lots of bird activity even with rainy season conditions – a beautiful but wet and bedraggled plate - billed mountain - toucan ( photo by marcelo quipo ) ; a female powerful woodpecker on a mossy trunk ( photo by carlos c . solano ) ; a family of hungry blue - winged mountain - tanagers at our banana feeders ( photo by carlos c . solano ) ; a colombian screech - owl in the rain ( photo by marcelo quipo ) .

our 2016 christmas bird count was amazing ! on the evening of 16 december 2016 a group of 9 birders met at reserva las gralarias for our annual christmas bird count ( cbc ) . that evening the group heard 2 mottled owls , 1 colombian screech - owl , 1 black - and - white owl , and 1 rufous - banded owl near the area around the guest houses . the next morning at 4 . 30am they saw our resident male lyre - tailed nightjar perched outside the guest house and also counted 1 common potoo and 2 parauques . the rest of the day continued with amazing records , including 3 new bird species for the reserve plus a new mammal record !

plus we had rather astonishing spectacled bear activity between mid - oct and end of the year , with 4 trailcam photos and numerous chewed palmito trees and other bear sign along various trails .

trail cam photo of a male spectacled bear at 1 . 12pm in the afternoon on 21 december 2016 along puma hideout trail

early spring is always a busy time on the equator and this year has been no exception .

in february - march barred hawks were vocal and observed regularly , one wattled guan was heard in the lower section of the reserve near santa rosa river , 18 species of hummers plus 10 species of tanagers , 2 species of brush - finch , 2 species of thrush , 6 sickle - winged guans and family groups of toucan barbet were regulars at our banana feeders as were 3 tayras .

but the very best bird was on 6 march a beautiful black solitaire feeding on small purple fruits in a large melastome along with a pair of green - and - black fruiteater .

very rare in this area we only have 5 records of this solitaire being seen on the reserve .

finally , it was fun watching a family of two adult and two young slaty - backed nightingale - thrush during the month - long fledgling period .

the adults very surreptitiously fed their young bits of bananas at our feeders and eventually the young birds began to hang around the feeders even without the adults nearby .

by 10 april the adult male was singing again and probably ready to commence another nesting period .

17 species of hummers at our hummingbird feeders , and 9 species of tanager at our fruit feaders as well as sickle - winged guans , chestnut - capped brush - finch , kinkajous and bats .

swallow - tailed kites returned for their breeding season and we had small flocks of maroon - tailed parakeets feeding in the trees near the guest houses . cloud - forest pygmy - owl called occasionally while two very vocal common potoos serenaded us almost every night . on sunny mornings we had large flocks of white - collared and spot - fronted swifts overhead while late april brought

egular visits to our feeders by the spectacular white - tailed hillstar ; continuing hoary pufflegs at the feeders ; common potoo on day roost along oso verde trail ; regular sightings of beautiful jay , also olivaceous piha , scaled fruiteater and a trio of yellow - vented woodpecker ; family of sickle - winged guans regular at the banana feeders .

2 march - just - fledged velvet - purple coronet appears on one of our feeders , then 4 days later . photos by jane lyons

returning crested quetzal first heard on 26 april at guan gulch ; golden - headed quetzals very vocal and active behind the guest houses ; white - faced nunbird vocal along mr . weasel´s trail during the first week of april ;

flammulated treehunter nest in the upper section ; beautiful jays regular at guest house ; 17 hummer species at the feeders ; sickle - winged guans and 8 species of tanagers at the fruit feeders .

this rare , endangered species spectacled bear made an appearance at the las gralarias guest houses on 26 october 2010 .

( juv male at guest house ) , tyrannine woodcreeper ( banded 11 august 2006 ) . best mammals : numerous kinkajous seen along santa rosa river trail .

24 june 2010 : nest with nestling of hoary puffleg found on canyon´s trail .

15 september 2009 : 2 upland sandpipers seen walking along the road at las gralarias and numerous heard flying over at night .