whoa, that's crazy

One of the fun things about field biology is that once in a while you run across something that not only you had not seen before, but that you didn't even know existed.

This turned up in one of my samples:

A little messing around with a key told me it was a lacebug, family Tingidae. I didn't even know those existed but wow, is it weird looking. The outer covering wings are like lace - they are literally full of holes (those don't just look like holes, they ARE holes) and they have a funny "lace collar" sort of thing up by the head.

more on lace bugs. Apparently they are a pest, though this is the only one I've seen in my samples thus far.