Jumping animals - hardy inhabitants of the salivary kingdom (11 photos)

Surely you have seen a strange foamy substance on the grass and flowers, reminiscent of soap suds or ordinary spittle, which for some reason has not dried up. It turns out that this foamy kingdom is inhabited, and even its inhabitants are very difficult.





The British call these insects froghoppers, that is, something like jumping frogs. Although in reality a name like mega-boogers would be more suitable for them. Because the resources of cercopods are truly incredible. A small booger can survive a load tens of times greater than what astronauts experience during takeoff.



These small, seemingly headless jumpers are related to aphids and cicadas. But the relationship is very conditional, since the group set out on its own a long time ago, back in the Jurassic period. And during this time it managed to multiply up to three thousand species and spread all over the world.





Representatives of cercopods are geniuses of camouflage and perfectly blend into the terrain, posing as twigs, buds, grains of sand, and twigs. Despite the difference in appearance, jumpers are united by their diet: they literally suck juices from plants, and some are also malicious pests - they not only suck life, but also kill. However, how could it be otherwise if nature did not consider it necessary to endow cercopods with terrifying and useful devices such as teeth, stings, and claws. And you have to get out of it using the existing functionality - the same disguise.



It must be said that the jumping larvae are nothing but stomachs. And they constantly want to eat. Young individuals are also always hungry; they are picky and capricious in their diet and deign to consume only the juice that comes from the roots to the leaves. It is really life-giving, with a high salt content and a minimum of organic matter.



You need to consume a lot of it, and so that the excess does not disappear, the larvae have learned to convert the liquid driven through the body into that very “saliva” that can often be seen on plants. They hide inside a bubble cocoon. Such a blanket will not protect you from hungry predators, but it will keep you warm and cozy.



The grown larva acquires legs and wings. Now cercopods no longer need to hide. And from dangers they simply boldly shed. And how - giant high jumps. The insect easily soars into the air to a height of 70 cm. This is the same as if a person jumped about 150-170 meters. From place.



The colossal strength of the jumpers is provided by their special legs. And when jumping, a fantastic acceleration is achieved, the overload at which reaches 550 G. For comparison: the emergency descent of the legendary Soyuz-class spacecraft is about 25 G.









How these creatures manage to calmly endure colossal overloads is unknown. Cercopods are happy with everything, sit for the time being in a slobbering cocoon, and then run away from problems and questions in leaps and bounds, not caring at all that some little people out there want to get at least a small part of the capabilities of these boogers.