Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Sharpshooters


A nymph Broad-headed Sharpshooter.

The adult form is amazing, so I’ll keep my eye out for them now. A lot of people resist the appeal of insects, but this one might break down some barriers.

In unmown meadow, here’s a Draeculacephala genus sharpshooter. Couldn’t get another photo because it shot off at the slightest provocation.

Sharpshooters are true bugs, in the leafhopper family family (Cicadellidae). I’m used to much smaller leafhoppers, just 3-4mm, and a struggle to photograph alive. These two sharpshooters were closer to a centimeter long.

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