The Bug With a Hidden Secret
The impossible claim This bug looks plain gray — until it opens its wings and reveals brilliant scarlet underneath. The verified facts The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a planthopper with two wardrobes: folded, it’s a camouflaged gray bark-mimic; open, its hindwings flash warning-red with black spots and a white band. The hidden red is a startle display — flashed only when threatened It’s an invasive species in the US (first detected 2014, Pennsylvania), devastating vineyards and orchards It jumps with a leafhopper’s power — up to 30× its body length Watch 🎬 See the Short on YouTube — The Bug With a Hidden Secret ...