Invertebrates
Thorn Bug
Umbonia · also called thorn treehopper
Lined up in a tight row along a single stem, a cluster of thorn bugs passes easily for a row of sharp plant thorns, each one carrying an oversized, pointed shield on its back that gives the whole group away only on the closest inspection.
Overview
The thorn bug, genus Umbonia, is native to forest and grassland habitat across parts of Central and South America. Its oversized thorn-shaped shield, group-reinforced camouflage, and mutualistic relationship with protective ants make it one of the most convincing examples of body-shape disguise found among the treehoppers.
Safety in numbers, disguised as danger
A single thorn bug is convincing enough on its own, but a whole stem lined with them becomes something closer to a solid defensive barrier, each individual’s thorn-shaped shield reinforcing the illusion that the entire plant is simply too prickly to bother with.
Status
Not Evaluated for conservation status, found across suitable forest and grassland habitat throughout its range.
Thorn Bug: common questions
Why is it called the thorn bug?
It carries a greatly enlarged, thorn-shaped shield on its back, a feature so convincing that clusters of them lining a plant stem can be mistaken for a row of actual thorns.
Do thorn bugs have a relationship with ants?
In some populations, yes; ants feed on the sugary honeydew the bugs excrete and defend them from predators in return, a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Why do thorn bugs live in groups?
Clustering together on a single stem makes their thorn-like camouflage more convincing collectively than it would be for any single individual, since a row of thorns reads more naturally than one isolated thorn shape.
Where is the thorn bug found?
It is native to forest and grassland habitat across parts of Central and South America.