Flight-polymorphism
Guides
Fitchiella robertsonii
ball-nosed planthopper
Fitchiella robertsonii is a rare, diminutive planthopper historically known from fewer than 20 collection sites across North America. The species was considered potentially extinct until its rediscovery in Iowa tallgrass prairie in 2008, with subsequent 12-year research yielding 219 specimens—representing 90% of all known collections. Adults measure less than 5 mm but can leap 35 inches in a single jump, roughly 250 times their body length. The species exhibits both brachypterous (short-winged, flightless) and macropterous (long-winged) forms.
Neacoryphus bicrucis
Whitecrossed seed bug, Ragwort seed bug, White-crossed seed bug
Neacoryphus bicrucis is a seed-feeding true bug (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) commonly known as the whitecrossed seed bug or ragwort seed bug. The species is specialized on Senecio species as host plants, from which it sequesters pyrrolizidine alkaloids that render it distasteful to some predators. It exhibits complex territorial and mating behaviors centered on host plant patches, with males defending high-density areas where females preferentially oviposit. The species shows pronounced sexual dimorphism in flight behavior: females conditionally histolyze flight muscles based on resource availability, while males retain flight capability throughout life. It has a broad distribution across the Americas and has been introduced to Oceania.