Saturday, March 14, 2009

Furry Bug

I discovered this furry one on the frond of an açaí palm. My first reaction was "something new." I took several pictures and from time to time I would return to take more, taking advantage of different sunlight exposures. The more I looked at the insect, the more I thought that something was very strange about all that "fur". I finally came to the conclusion that the creature was being consumed by fungi. Was it a case of parasitism? Could it be a cicada?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sure looks like a cicada, but the fur coat baffles me. In any event, your photo is excellent--sharp image, true colors, and blurred background. If you find out what's on this poor insect, let us know.

Unknown said...

I agree, it looks like a cicada with a fungal infection.

Anonymous said...

I'm not convinced the fungus had anything to do with the cicada's demise, though I could be wrong.

Pretty cool photograph!

regards--ted