In the pink

Leafhoppers are a common sight in the garden, yet I rarely consider writing about them.  One reason is that I never see them do very much.  They feed on plant sap and, consequently, spend most of their time sitting still on plants.

A privet leafhopper (Fieberiella florii) on a rose bush.

The exception is when they are provoked (for example, by my camera getting too close).  Then, they can jump a very impressive distance for an insect called only a "hopper".  However, this interesting ability is difficult to capture with the camera.

A froghopper on a lamb's ear leaf shortly before it escaped the camera.

Another reason to overlook the garden hoppers is their dull coloration.  Until last week, all the hoppers I had found in my garden were some sort of brown, such as the ones pictured above.  Thus, I was very surprised to find a bright pink hopper when I was clearing away fallen leaves.

A pink leafhopper that I uncovered under some leaf litter.

Some leafhoppers are pink as adults, but the one pictured above doesn't match the descriptions I have found.  Another possibility is that it had just gone through its final molt and had not yet darkened to its adult color.