Sunday, 8 August 2010

Rhododendron leafhopper

This exotic looking species was accidentally introduced from the USA in the 1930's; its vivid colouration makes it easy to spot on rhododendrons from the middle of Summer and into Autumn.

The Rhododendron leafhopper acts as a vector for the fungus Pycnostysanus azaleae which causes the disease rhododendron bud blast. The adult leafhoppers lay their eggs in the buds of the plant allowing fungal spores entry.

Image shot with a reversed 50mm f/2.8 EL-Nikkor on bellows.

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1 comment:

  1. Dave lapham Photography8 August 2010 at 08:44

    I just joined got involved with istockphoto.com. It seems really legit. I can hopefully make some cash off of it. Any advice on selling photos on there?

    ReplyDelete