Lantern Fly

Lantern Fly
John told me to come see a very unusual bug he found on the patio. He found it like this, on its back. It might have flown into the glass door and landed that way.

Lantern Fly
It was still alive. Look at the strangely shaped head.

Lantern Fly
John flipped it over and it walked into a corner. The colorings were striking.

Lantern Fly
There's very little information on the internet for this creature. It belongs to the planthopper family of insects and goes by many different names such as lantern fly, peanut bug, peanut-headed lanternfly and alligator bug. This one was about three inches long. I managed to take a short video before he flew away. Click here to watch it.