Fulgoridae - Tumblr Posts

Honourary non-moth post: the peanut-head lanternfly

Sometimes mistakenly called the peanut-head moth, these little fellas are part of the order Hemiptera (true bugs) family Fulgoridae (fulgorid planthoppers).

"But why," you may ask, "are they called peanut-heads?" Let me show you.

Goofy fella #1

Goofy fella #2

These ridiculous false heads are shared by both males and females, so it's not a result of sexual selection. It's theorized that it's to avoid them getting their actual heads bitten off, which if you look at a closeup, is behind the false one:

Oh and btw. Even though they're called lanternflies they don't actually glow in the dark. And Costa Ricans believe they're poisonous and if you get bitten by them you have to have sex at least within the next 24 hours, and by some accounts, immediately.

They are distributed across tropical Mexico, Central and South America. And yeah they're just really strange and cool.