Enchophora sanguinea

Description

Enchophora sanguinea is a species of lantern bug, a type of hemipteran, found in Central and South America. It was first described by William Lucas Distant in 1887. They are 25 millimetres (1.0 in) long. Their colour varies, but is normally red to green; they have a scimitar-shaped process on their heads. They feed on the sap of trees, most commonly Simarouba amara, and they excrete honeydew out of their anuses. Several other animals feed on this honeydew, having what is termed a trophobiotic relationship with this species of bug. An air-breathing land snail, Pittieria aurantiaca feeds on the honeydew, and this relationship is the first observed biotrophic interaction between an insects and a gastropod. Cockroaches have been observed to feed on a wax that covers the wing cases of this lantern bug, and this was the first observed biotrophic interaction involving a cockroach.