Does anyone know if Ledra aurita can jump, please? A khaki brown insect landed on my rucksack last week while I was in a North Wales oakwood. My first thought was Ledra aurita but it pinged off before I got a good look. I have found Ledra a few times in England and it has seemed rather sluggish. There are currently no N. Wales records on NBN. If Ledra can’t jump, what I saw clearly wasn’t Ledra and I needn’t spend time looking for it.
Thanks,
John
I was intrigued by the question; can a leaf hopper leap?
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This blog suggests it can jump; is jumping close enough to leaping to say Yes it can? At least according to this blogger, whose academic credentials I don’t know.
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http://www.hampshirecam.co.uk/wildscenes04.html
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I look forward to reading what others think.
Several sites make note of the species’ strident stridulations (note to self: this sounds pompous!), but few make any reference to whether they live up to the common name.
This site strongly suggests the behaviour is common:
Also:
https://whyfiles.org/2013/got-gears-lets-leap-says-the-leafhopper/index.html
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2017.0022
How interesting (thanks). I just see them as disappearing. I watch them (actually other leafhoppers) though my viewfinder and they just disappear. ‘Where to they go?’, would be my question. Eastwards perhaps?
It seems to be avoiding Wales, Scotland and Ireland John https://www.gbif.org/species/2043501
Also (the dated) https://www.ledra.co.uk/
Thanks. The view here and on iNaturalist is that it can jump so I better go and look for it.
John