Bell bearer leafhopper

I had to work today to make up for the day off Friday. We started cleaning out the flood damage having finally gotten the water out of the basement. I have not yet found a dehumidifier but I think that would help a lot.

Animal

The Bell bearer leafhopper (Bocydium globulare) probably has the strangest thorax among insects. It appears to be a leafhopper carrying a 1950's modernist sculpture on it's back. This 4mm leaf hopper is from South America (most of the pictures I found were taken in Brazil) and is a member of the Membracidae family which are known for their strange shapes. Many members of the Membracidae family would make lovely organic modernist pieces. The growth on its thorax breaks easily and might be carried off instead of the leafhopper by a predator. It is also theorized that the growth on this leafhopper's thorax may mimic an insect's head from the front.

Here is a photo of the Bell bearer

Here is a front view to show you how that weird structure might look like an insect head