Entomologists...What kind of insect is this?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

The body is about 1/10" long, and shaped and colored very much like this limpet shell

It has red eyes and a weird tuft of fluff on its hind end.

So bizarre!

[Qanisqineq]

1. it's entomologist

and where is this thing? It doesn't look like an insect, except maybe a scale insect. Was it on a plant?

Edit: my monitor is going bad so all pics look really dark. From what I can tell (very little), it looks like something in the ocean?!?!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. The pic is of a limpet shell,

That's what this critter's body is shaped like...sort of conical. I found it crawling on my porch tonight. It may have wings, but it's not interested in flying at the moment.

Sorry about the misspell...

[Qanisqineq]

3. oh, it is OF a limpet shell?

And you are talking about an insect that looks like it. Ooooooooooh, I gotcha now! (I will be taking donations for a new monitor now... :) )

Hmmmmmm, sounds similar to a scale insect but they don't walk around much, no wings, and are pretty tiny. (They are one of those groups that I have never been interested in, so I'm pretty ignorant). This site may have some decent pics: http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/ornamentals/scaleinsects.html

Don't worry about the spelling, it's better than "antemology" or some form of that. :)

[dweller]

4. not sure

but once it's grown up, somebody will stick a toothpick in it, and serve it on a fru-fru drink..

and that's where those garni come from.
dp

[FizzFuzz]

5. its the fluffyhineylimpetbug

sheesh I have to explain everything to you people

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. I tried googling

"fluff butt bug" but didn't get any hits...

[puerco-bellies]

7. Possibly a Scale bug or leafhopper

Try and see if you can find the perp here.

Leafhoppers
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~dietrich/Leafhome.html

Scale bugs
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/ornamentals/scaleinsects.html

[Qanisqineq]

8. nope, not a leafhopper!

that much I'm pretty sure of! But I like your choice of sites for leafhopper reference... I know that entomologist!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. Doesn't appear to be either of those...

His legs are relatively long in proportion to his body. I'm not sure whether he has wings or not...it's possible that they're concealed by his conical shape.

The oddest thing is the tuft of fluff on his butt.

[Qanisqineq]

10. I just had an idea!

I think it could be a planthopper nymph (a baby planthopper). (The mention of a related group of insects - the leafhoppers - made me think of this) They produce a wax that looks like cotton and comes out of their butt. Some are kind of round in shape and could look similar to the shell you mentioned. Also, as a nymph it would not have wings. I just realized this because I caught one the other day similar to what you described but very tiny. I don't have a picture to show you, I tried looking for one the other day to find out the type of planthopper it was but to no avail.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. I'll bet you're right...

I found a few pics of planthopper nymphs on the web. None fits the precise description, but the body shapes are similar, and there are some with fluffy butts...

[TexasMexican]

12. Mongolian Death Worm

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. They're only in the Gobi...

http://definereal.tripod.com/unexp5.htm