Hyadaphis foeniculi - Mature nymph of alate, lateral

Lateral view, uploaded to illustrate answer to question here:

comments (3)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Are those brown appendages sticking out of the abdomen wing pads, like underdeveloped wings? Posted 2 years ago
1. Pudding4brains
  
  Lion
  
  The wing pads/cases are located on the thorax - the same unit that all the legs are connected to. In this critter they look a tad like "arms" held back along the side of the body.
  The brown things sticking out of the abdomen are the siphunculi. A siphunculus (sometimes called cornicle) is a tube-like structure that it used to excrete a defense fluid/wax. The shape can be very variable between species (and hence an important character for ID), ranging from long and slender to short and stout and sometimes swollen or carrying a clear flange and such.
  Wing pads are found on nymphs of winged bugs, grasshoppers, earwigs and other hemimetabolous insects and can be thought of as sacks/cases that provide space and protection for the developing wings.
  Here is an image of three different stadia in the development of the nymphs of Piezodorus lituratus:
  
  Note how the wing cases are clearly "bulging" backward over the abdomen in the 5th stadium nymph top left and much less developed, but still discernable in the two 4th stadium nymphs on the right, but hardly recognizable in the little one bottom left. Posted 2 years ago, modified 2 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    Impressive as always. Hopefully my layman questions don't annoy too much, I know you're busy. That said, these answers are of great value and timeless, something to refer back to. Thanks! Posted 2 years ago