Issus coleoptratus
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| Issus coleoptratus | |
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| Species: | I. coleoptratus
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| Issus coleoptratus (Fabricius, 1781)
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Issus coleoptratus is a common insect found in the western Palaearctic. It is a species of planthopper that is 5.5–7.0 millimetres (0.22–0.28 in) long. The coloration of this insect can vary from light brown and olive to nearly black. There is only one generation per year. It is unable to fly, unlike most members of its family. It feeds on the phloem of different trees, such as lime trees, oaks, maples, birches, elms and hazels.
The nymphs of this insect have a small, gear-like structure on each of their hind legs. These gears have teeth that intermesh, keeping the legs synchronized when the insect jumps, preventing it from spiraling. These gears are the first fully-functioning interlocking gears discovered in the natural world. The insects shed this gear before moulting into adults.[1][2]
References
- ^ Lee, Jane. "Insects Use Gears in Hind Legs to Jump". National Geographic. Retrieved Tuesday, September 24, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Robertson, Adi (September 12, 2013). "The first-ever naturally occurring gears are found on an insect's legs". The Verge. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
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