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Photo#231640
Metcalfa pruinosa (Nymph)  - Siphanta acuta

Metcalfa pruinosa (Nymph) - Siphanta acuta
Santa Clara Ca., Santa Clara County, California, USA
October 5, 2008
Size: 3cm
I'm pretty new to bugs. I took this photo in one of my plants on my porch. I looked through the bug database and I'm guessing its a Metcalfa?

Flatid nymph
This is not one of our common genera. I am guessing that this is the nymph of the introduced Siphanta acuta, which is also a pretty exotic looking bug and common in southern CA. The sharp wing angle is evident even on the developing wing pads.

Please watch for adults!

 
Siphanta acuta
I found a picture of this same color form on a Web site from Australia, so the identification is now confirmed.

However, another Web site cautions that the color changes as this insect grows. The above photo is evidently from a young 4th instar nymph:

"The fourth nymphal instars are yellowish-green marked with red, black and pink marking. Wing pads, or incompletely developed wings are present on the 4/25 inch (4 mm) long body. Legs are pink. About half way through this stage, a striking change occurs in the appearance of the instars. The new red markings found in the earlier portion of this stage fade to yellow-green, paler than the rest of the insect body such that the insect changes from mostly red to green. It takes about 2 weeks for this color change to occur.

"The fifth, and last, instars are about 1/5 inch (5 mm) in length and 3/20 inch (3.75 mm) at greatest width. Instars are devoid of the white powdery covering. For the first three days of this stage the instars are mostly a pale green with some black markings, eyes are green, and legs are pink (spines black), there is no trace of red. Like the fourth instars, the fifth instars also go through a color change. On the fourth day of this stage, instars begin to turn reddish in color reaching a maximum intensity of red on the seventh or eighth day. Thereafter, the instars gradually turn a uniform green, more vivid than the first three days of this stage."

[www.extento.hawaii.edu/Kbase/Crop/Type/s_acuta.htm]

 
5th instar
I've been rearing these nymphs and tracking their changes. The protruding incipient wings in the photo make that specimen a fifth instar. Fourth instars have the same color pattern (briefly), but their wing pads are smaller.

 
Ahhh -
I live right "next door" to Adam and found Siphanta adults recently... see here:


Nice photo!
Can't confirm your ID, although you look to be in the right neighborhood, I think. I hope you keep contributing these nice images from my neck of the woods. BTW, I'm confused about the location of this image - is part of Santa Clara in Alameda Co??

 
County
Your absolutely correct. LOL I used to live in Newark which is in Alameda County. We just bought a house in Santa Clara which is the county. :) Sorry about that. I am just getting into the bug and insect stuff. I really find it very fascinating and I think I will be spending more time and posting more photos, oh and probably a lot of silly questions as well. :)

 
We have a really fine expert on these - Dr. Hamilton
but I think he's in the field currently, so patience is urged. I'm looking forward to your future posts and will be on hand with silly answers. (I'm in Orange County.)

 
Thank you
Thanks Ron, its nice to meet you. I look forward to digging around and learning more. I will contribute more photos as I take them. It may take me a while to learn there ID's. This is very fun and challenging.

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