Walking Popcorn: The Planthopper Nymph from Ecuador

This flatid planthopper nymph might look like a tiny piece of popcorn but it’s actually an insect living in the forests of Ecuador.

There are around 900,000 known insect species on Earth, representing around 80% of the all species. It is not surprising, therefore, that insects are the most diverse group of organisms on our planet.

Late biologist, biologist, physicist and photographer Andreas Kay dedicated his life to documenting this fascinating diversity. From 2011 until his death in 2019, Kay spent time in Ecuador, where he captured all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures to demonstrate the area’s epic biodiversity. He photographed caterpillars, beetles, spiders and ants that were are very special, but one tiny creature stood out even from them: a flatid planthopper nymph that looks just like a walking piece of popcorn. Or a snowflake. Or something between the two.

In May 2019, Kay shared a video of the strange creature, showing the tiny insect rushing across his fingertip. This particular subfamily of planthopper is found in the Amazon Forest, and there’s a reason for its strange appearance. The waxy white filaments it is covered with are for protection.

There are roughly 12,500 known planthopper species on Earth. They are insects that closely resemble the plants that grow in their own environments. Any yes, as their name suggests, planthoppers are indeed able to “hop” from plant to plant, even though Kay doesn’t capture that movement in the video. Nevertheless, we’re sure it would look just like a popping kernel.

Sources: 1, 2, 3