科學圖說

美麗沫蟬(Beautiful Froghoppers)

沫蟬屬於昆蟲綱半翅目沫蟬科，是一群有趣的昆蟲，種類也多，雖然也叫蟬，但牠們不會鳴叫，也比蟬小得多。牠們全為植食性，取食草本和木本植物。外觀看上去像是某人吐出的口水泡沫，所以又稱泡泡蟲。其實是若蟲腹部末端會分泌泡沫把自己隱藏起來，避免被天敵發現，等到羽化變成成蟲後，就不在泡沫裡生活。曾觀察食蟲虻會吃沫蟬的成蟲，說明了若蟲生活在泡沫還是比較安全。由於幼小的沫蟬身體瑩潤透亮，往往是昆蟲攝影人喜歡的題材之一。

Froghoppers belong to the family Cercopidae, order Hemiptera and class Insecta. They are interesting insects of highly diverse species. They feed on herbaceous and woody plants and are sometimes observed in a foamy substance, as if someone spat on them. It is the nymphs that secrete this substance from the end of the abdomen to conceal themselves from predators. Once they molt and become adults, they no longer produce it. I have seen assassin flies prey on adult froghoppers, which means that nymphs are safer within their foam. As froghopper nymphs are often clear and bright, they are a popular subject for insect photographers.