# Is this insect safe?



## beeswaxx (Feb 17, 2005)

There are lots of these little tiny grasshopper-type bugs on the rhododendrons in my front garden. They are about 1 cm long (3/8"). Does anyone know what they are, and would they be alright to feed to some leucomelas'?










Here are two who I assume to be mating.

















Thanks
-Beeswaxx


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## Bry (Feb 18, 2004)

I don't know what kind your butt-humper bugs are, they do look familiar but the name escapes me. The bright colors also are a sign in nature that they might be toxic. But besides all that, there is always the possibility of pesticides on those bugs unless you live in some remote area in the cedar and oak trees between nowhere and goodbye.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2005)

*cedar oak trees*

Million Dollar Baby


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## beeswaxx (Feb 17, 2005)

*Re: cedar oak trees*



wort said:


> Million Dollar Baby


??


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

Those are some species of leafhopper. Leafhoppers fall in the insect order Homoptera, which also includes cicadas, aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, spittle bugs, etc. 

I've never heard of any toxicity issues with leafhoppers. They suck plant juices so I suppose you might want to be sure they weren't living on a problematic host plant. Homopterans have membraneous wings and would probably be a little more digestible than something like beetles which are heavily chitinized.

When my kids were younger they used to like to catch leafhoppers and feed them to our outside goldfish, which gobbled them up.

Some leafhoppers (and aphids) secrete a sweetish solution called "honeydew" which attracts ants; the ants then protect the hoppers from predation.

I couldn't guarantee that leafhoppers are safe food for frogs but I would think they would be. After all, aphids are frequently recommended. One nice thing about the hoppers (as you've noticed) is that they tend to appear in large numbers and it's easy to collect good quantities. (They can be serious crop pests.)

--Diane


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## Bry (Feb 18, 2004)

*Re: cedar oak trees*



beeswaxx said:


> wort said:
> 
> 
> > Million Dollar Baby
> ...


He's referring to a line I used from the movie, "Million Dollar Baby". The line is below:



Bry said:


> live in some remote area in the cedar and oak trees between nowhere and goodbye.


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## DaFrogMan (Oct 8, 2004)

I have fed leafhoppers on occasion without any problems. Just be sure that you do your field sweeps in a remote area that will not have pesticides.


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## beeswaxx (Feb 17, 2005)

Thanks

I think I will take the safe route and not feed them to them, mainly because of possible pesticides (I haven't used any, but I can't say for my neighbours)

-beeswaxx


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