The leafhopper was last recorded in the Vrchbělé area 15 years ago. It occurs only in a few places in the Czech Republic, usually in former military districts. Milada Vrbová told ČTK on behalf of the Czech Association of Nature Protectors Klenice.
“It’s very fresh, we found the leaffoot on Sunday when we checked the pools in the only pool that doesn’t dry out, so it’s extremely important for the animals. It is strange that it appeared at the end of October, the usual development is until the end of August or September,” said Vrbová. The find under it testifies to an extremely valuable area that has not been affected, for example, by the use of chemical substances. While building the new pools in September, they discovered yet another type of crustacean, the gill-pod.
The leafhopper lives in so-called periodic pools and its eggs are able to survive up to 20 years in dry conditions. Summer leafhopper grows to a size of over ten centimeters. At first glance, it looks very ancient, reminiscent of a trilobite. The crustacean’s body contains about a hundred legs, the back part is a tail ending in two bristles. Leafhoppers feed mainly on algae, organic material from the bottom of pools and ponds, and small invertebrates.
Vrchbělá is a part of Bělá pod Bezdězem, in the past it was a military district, which, according to Vrbová, is a typical area where the leafhopper thrives. Last year, conservationists also discovered a critically endangered species of orchid there, the bee-bearing toadstool.
