Armies of Planthoppers

I've been seeing hundreds of bugs flitting all over the lily pads as I float past in my kayak. They appeared to be little nits or flies that were moving too fast to be photographed and identifiable. Every time I approached a lily pad, they'd all scatter; that is, until I discovered that they'd scattered outwards onto my green kayak in droves. I was able to get close to a few next to me without alarming them.

  

They were colonizing my kayak - each one of those little black specks on my bow and sides in the pic below is a common water lily planthopper, Megamelus davisi, native to North America. They cover the waterlily pads like masses of flies at this time of year as they feed on the plant before it disintegrates.

Nymphs overwinter along the shore near water lilies, so it is important to maintain shoreline habitat. These bugs are an important food supply for frogs, wasps and flies. They produce 3 groups of hatchlings per year (to feed the frogs!)

I wasn't able to capture them on their plant of choice, but this is their preferred food source, with a view!