July 2021
This has been a very exciting month! My colleague in the Atlanta area had found Hebetica sylviae alive and living on mulberry trees last summer, however since we were all on pandemic lock-down last year, I didn't get the opportunity to meet my treehoppers for myself until this July. I spent a few days in Atlanta and collected about 8 individuals to bring back to Kentucky with me. Once I returned, I was cutting fresh stems for the Atlanta bugs when I found a Hebetica sylviae specimen on my own campus at Murray State University! Since finding them locally, I've collected close to 100 individuals on white mulberry trees around town. White mulberry is very common in our area and seems to border many parking lots on campus and shopping areas.
When I'm not out collecting them, I am using special equipment to record their vibrational signals. I hope to continue to learn more about their ecology and behavior this season.
