Woolly Hackberry Aphid vs Thorn Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Woolly Hackberry Aphid Thorn Bug
Scientific Name Shivaphis celti Umbonia crassicornis
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Aphididae Membracidae
Size 1-2 mm 10-12 mm
Habitat Woodlands Underground
Diet Predators Sap Feeders
Regions East Asia, introduced to North America Central America, South America, North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Woolly Hackberry Aphid

A waxy-white social aphid that feeds on hackberry trees and is notable for its cooperative colony defense. Large groups coordinate to kick and push predators off leaf surfaces.

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Did You Know?

They produce copious white waxy filaments that can accumulate like snow under heavily infested hackberry trees.

Thorn Bug

Extraordinary treehopper with a thorn-shaped pronotum that makes it look exactly like a plant thorn when sitting on a branch. Mothers guard eggs and nymphs aggressively.

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Did You Know?

Treehoppers have evolved the most bizarre body shapes of any insect — their enlarged pronotum can mimic thorns, helicopter blades, antlers, and even ant-like forms.