Perhaps among the most exotic and strange forms that we can find in the world are insects. Sometimes we find among its rows picturesque forms of life, so diverse that there is even an insect that resembles a walking popcorn. To date we have discovered around 900,000 types of insects, although there are certainly a few others that we don’t know about yet.
Their variety is so wide that they represent 80% of all known animal species in the world, so they surely keep among their ranks the most exotic specimens. Large, small, with ineffable colors, those that go unnoticed due to their size, but there are also those that seem to come from another world or from… the kitchen?
Image: David Weiller
Biologist and photographer Andreas Kay has dedicated his life to documenting the fascinating world of insects. Caterpillars, beetles, arachnids, Kay captured all kinds of creatures, but among all of them he found one that earned him surprise and affection; the planthopper nymph that to human eyes would seem more like a delicately walking popcorn.
Image: Andreas Kay
The planthopper nymph walks with the grace of a popcorn
The delicate, fluffy white nymph inhabits the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest and gets its name from its habitual behavior of gracefully hopping from one plant to another. And although tiny, the planthopper nymphs occupy a special place in the region’s ecosystem, secreting protective fats on the leaves to protect them from solar radiation.
Image: Andreas Kay
Its cloudy or popcorn appearance make this insect one of the strangest but most beautiful that has been captured on video. Actually, it obtains this peculiar visual composition through waxy filaments that cover it for its protection from potential predators.
Kay managed to capture the picturesque gait of the planthopper nymph that resembles a popcorn with little legs that runs along the biologist’s finger. Amaze yourself and watch the video captured by Andreas.
It might interest you