This story appears in the March 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine. If there were a competition for the world’s weirdest insect, treehoppers would have a clear shot at first place.

A group of treehoppers sit on a plant stem in University of Missouri Professor Rex Cocroft's lab. Humans can't hear the vibrations these insects use to communicate with, but Cocroft has been able ...

Horned treehoppers have the horned helmets to help ... octopus," according to Insectidentification.org, a database of insects, bugs and spiders. "Though other hairy caterpillars have a reputation ...

While you read these words, countless treehopper insects on a branch somewhere in the Panamanian rainforest are listening to one another. They can’t hear us, and — normally — we can’t hear ...

Researchers at St. Louis University have been examining the thermoregulatory tendencies in insects that live in plants, specifically treehoppers. They've discovered that while these insects can ...

We were armed to the hilt with a breadth of research about this odd family of insects diligently uncovered by Assistant Producer Alex Walters. Treehoppers range in size from roughly that of a £1 ...

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.