I was just about to head in to bed when I realized I hadn’t posted these two shots of a very common yet beautiful little bugger from our yard.
Red-banded Leafhopper-Graphocephala coccinea
There are a few similar species but I think I got the ID right. Aside from the basic pattern and of course color, the scutellum (that triangular shape on the thorax) is orangey which is one of the keys.
Nice mask…the Lone Hopper. Actually it is not unusual to see several on the same plant. They are not particular peckish about their food and will eat most things they come across (with limitations) including some ornamental plants which probably makes them somewhat less than popular in some venues.
They are known by a few other names such as candy-striped leafhopper, scarlet-and-green leafhopper, and red-and-blue leafhopper.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
The colors of this one reminded me of jewelry worn by the women of Ladakh, a territory in the Indian Himalayas. One of the bloggers I follow lives in India, and she recently posted some photos showing the coral and turquoise necklaces traditional in the area: exactly the colors of your fabulous leafhopper.
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Turquoise is one of Mary Beth’s favorited stones and her wedding ring is a simple band of gold with an inlaid stripe of turquoise. I hadn’t connected these hoppers with that but now that you mention it. These bugs have reminded a lot of people of jewelry.
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I get the impression that most people don’t know that leafhoppers exist because these insects are so small. In this case the bright colors could partly compensate for the tiny size.
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These are hard to miss even at their tiny size…about the size of a fingernail clipping and a small one at that..
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What a beauty for a silent Sunday edition! I am so glad you did not forget to post it before going to bed.
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They are beauties and I could be silent about them.
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Realy awesome, these colors !
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They are beauties and I am fortunate to have dozens of them in the yard every year.
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Colors in nature are truly amazing.
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They certainly can be and most folks miss them entirely.
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I love these little bugs! It’s like finding candy among the leaves and is always a startling surprise.
Exquisite photography.
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They are a treat and although we literally do have dozens of them in the yard annually I still get excited and make a lot of photographs of them. Thanks, Wally!
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Wonderful captures, Steve. Like little Christmas ornaments!
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Thanks, Eliza. Or they might make a nice design for earrings.
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I always enjoy these color leafhoppers. And I also like the stem it’s resting on, lighter green and fuzzy.
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Thanks, Todd. It’s a nice surprise when one gets close enough to a plant to see the textures and fine details we otherwise miss.
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Handsome little bugger. Finally a critter from the east I see in the west, or at least one of his cousins.
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Probably a cousin as distribution maps don’t show them on the west coast. They are good lookers whichever species.
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Dry nice Steve! Never saw one of these before!
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Thanks, Reed. They are quite tiny and easy to overlook.
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