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Treehoppers (more precisely typical treehoppers to distinguish them from the Aetalionidae) and thorn bugs are members of the family Membracidae, a group of insects related to the cicadas and the leafhoppers. About 3,200 species of treehoppers in over 400 genera are known.〔(Treehoppers. ) Dr. Metcalf. NCSU Libraries. North Carolina State University.〕 They are found on all continents except Antarctica; only three species are known from Europe. Individual treehoppers usually live for only a few months. Treehopper.jpg| imagines and nymphs in Monteverde, Costa Rica Treehopper Horned.JPG|A horned treehopper in Tumkur, India Treehopper CarpenterAnts.JPG|Treehoppers are seen mating; some nymphs are also apparent. The presence of the carpenter ants shows the mutualisms that treehoppers form. Hyderabad, India ==Morphology== Thorn bugs, due to their unusual appearance, have long interested naturalists. They are best known for their enlarged and ornate pronotum, which most often resembles thorns, apparently to aid camouflage. In some species, the pronotum is a horn-like extension, but can form more bizarre shapes. The specialised pronotum (or helmet) may not be simply an expansion of the prothoracic sclerite, but a fused pair of dorsal appendages of the first thoracic segment. These may be serial homologues of insect wings, which are dorsal appendages of the second and/or third thoracic segments. Evidence for this theory includes the development of the helmet, which arises as a pair of appendages attached to each side of the dorsal prothorax by an articulation with muscles and a flexible membrane that allow it to be mobile. Also, the same genes are involved in development of the helmet and the wings. Distinguishing males from females is accomplished only by looking at the genitalia. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「treehopper」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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