On first glance, this insect (Pochazia transversa) appears to be a moth, but viewed from the side, the fat cicada-like body reveals its true affinity. There are two families, Flattidae and Ricaniidae, in the order Hemiptera that bear the common name moth bugs. A specimen I found some time back in the study is probably a Salurnis sp. from the first family, while Ricaniids such as Pochazia are distinguished by their laterally-positioned wings. Both families have nymphs that are white with long waxy filaments and feed on a wide array of plants from citruses to oil palms.








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