Lanternfly / कंदील माशी (kalidasa lantana)

I've been looking for this particular species of planthopper since 2012. But my luck was not with me. Yesterday, while returning to the hospital, out of the blue, this little guy landed in front of me.
Although it is called a "lanternfly" in English, it does not belong to the genus of flies. Rather it falls into the category of bugs. 
The color scheme is as vibrant and attractive as that of a butterfly, and it has a mesh, dotted pattern. But the main differentiating feature is a slender and flexible stalk-like outgrowth arising from above the tip of the snout. (which is missing here :p )
Most likely someone had seen the firefly glowing next to the lanternfly and thought it was coming from its nose. This is why it got the name "Lantern" fly. In fact, no light is emitted from its body.








Location: Sijua, Patrapada, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751019, India

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