Critters with multiple white "tails" Frankfort, Benzie County, Michigan, USA July 4, 2011 Size: 3/16" long wth 1/2" tails
The ground under our large maple tree is covered with these bugs. They float down from the tree like dandelion fluff and land gently on the ground and appear to be dead or near dead at the time of falling. Their bodies average 1/8" to 3/16" in length and 1/16" across. The small head is black; thorax is caramel color; and the abdomen is black. Two pair of legs originate at the junction of the thorax and abdomen, while the other pair is on the "neck" very close to the antennae. It is soft shelled and segmented-looking. Attached to the "butt" end, there are multiple (10+) half-inch long, white threadlike, fibrous, fuzzy-looking "tails." When picking them up by the tail, they stick to everything. Don't know if it is the fibers on the tail, or if indeed, it really is sticky. It's hard to tell with something so tiny. Some of the "younger" ones have a short, stubby tail before the longer tendrils. We didn't know if these were a stage of metamorphosis of a bug or not? We've never seen them before and have lived here 23 years. Our tree is huge, but we can see clumps of these on the underside of some of the leaves. Hope you can help us identify them. Didn't have the right camera to get "up close and personal."
Images of this individual: tag all Contributed by mtmomma256 on 7 July, 2011 - 6:17am Last updated 15 September, 2020 - 5:42pm |