New lens … but still with the bugs?

So here we have — sigh — another "bug." Agreed — this isn't the best photograph. But my new Canon EFS 17–55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens isn't the best lens for photography-of-the-small; that would be the 60mm macro lens. But since Clare & I leave tomorrow for the airport and leave the following morning bright-and-early for San Francisco, Monterrey Bay and northern-Napa, I need to take what few photos I can with this new lens & my newly-repaired T2i body. (The new lens, despite its significant weight, will be my "carry-around" lens for a while.) So this is all I have for today, a “Citrus Flatid Planthopper” (“Metcalfa pruinosa”).

Confirmed at BugGuide as “Metcalfa pruinosa” or “Citrus Flatid Planthopper”; http://bugguide.net/node/view/1266848

Species page at BugGuide, http://bugguide.net/node/view/7342

The plant is a “Weigela florida” or “Cardinal Shrub” in our front garden; species page at PhytoImages, http://www.phytoimages.siu.edu/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Weigela_florida&rank=binomial

A brief history of my "nature interest(s)" as it relates to my 365 posts over 5½ years.

• Initially there was an proclivity to flowers. (I don't have to ask their permission and I don't have to coax a smile.) Yeah, there have been a few, http://365project.org/tags/tmflowers

• I squashed a lady beetle larva in our back-year-garden in 2012 and decided I should acquaint myself with our garden's visitors.

• I became infatuated with the beauty & elegance of butterflies (order Lepidoptera in the animal kingdom), http://365project.org/tags/tmbutterflies — including skippers, MaryBeth!

• I discovered the garden next to the Plant Biology Greenhouse on campus (before I retired), http://365project.org/tags/siuc-garden

• I met Karen from the Greenhouse.

• I became fascinated with the diversity of flora at — and through — the Greenhouse:
»» first post, http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-11-27
»» all-posts, http://365project.org/tags/siuc-greenhouse

• I met plant systematics expert, and Professor of Plant Biology, Dan.

• But even with my fascination with, and all I have learned about plants, there still remains a fascination of the diversity and discovery of arthropods (this covers insects, but also spiders and such things as centipedes).

1 year ago (“Common Whitetail”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2015-07-15
2 years ago (“Waiting for sunset”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-07-15
3 years ago (“Opportunity meets preparation”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-07-15
4 years ago (“Double-banded Scoliid”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-07-15
5 years ago (“Solitude”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-07-15

Full taxonomy, from BugGuide.net, http://www.bugguide.net/ —
» Insects (class Insecta)
»» True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (order Hemiptera)
»»» Free-living Hemipterans (suborder Auchenorrhyncha)
»»»» Planthoppers (superfamily Fulgoroidea)
»»»»» Flatid Planthoppers (family Flatidae)
»»»»»» Flatinae (subfamily)
»»»»»»» Nephesini (tribe)
»»»»»»»» Metcalfa (genus)
»»»»»»»»» Citrus Flatid Planthopper (Metcalfa pruinosa)

[ IMG_1005S825x1100tm :: f/2.8 :: 1/60" :: ISO-400 :: 55mm ]

[Maggiemae]

A new world - underneath everything!