Sounds like the green/potato leafhopper or beet leafhopper (forgot the proper name.) They are kinda wedge-shaped, like a grasshopper but only about a 16th of an inch or less wide and maybe 1/4" long? Do a google search on leafhopper to see if it's it. Hope this helps. Mark

Arrktrees, just like all apples are Malus domestica, all bananas are the same Musa species. (Not including one edible species grown only in the South Pacific). Just like you can have Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Rome apples, you have small pink bananas, big white ones and plantains all from basically the same genome. In my parent's day, the variety was called Gros Michele, "Big Mike". The last load was imported into the U.S. in 1962, but the dying of bananas had been on-going and had inspired the song "Yes, we have no bananas". Since then, almost all dessert bananas are Cavendish. The reason is a disease that wiped out almost all Gros Michele. The reason for the quintessentially British name Cavendish is that when looking for a banana tree that was immune to the fungal disease, one was found in the greenhouses of Lord Cavendish. This single clone is that basis for the whole dessert banana trade. Now, there is a new threat, another fungus. The industry has already moved from countries like Honduras to Ecuador, the new #1 source of bananas to the US. The fungus has infected trees in South China, and recently was found in Queensland, Australia. When it comes to the New World, you will read it in the mainstream media. While you and I may think of bananas as an accessory to breakfast, places like Uganda and that region use bananas like we do potatoes, wheat and rice. This variety, a plantain type, is also killed by the new fungus. When it ravages East Africa, you can imagine what will happen when it hits there, imagine taking everything with rice, wheat or potato off your menu. Anyways, there is a process going on to try to find a resistant banana. Every banana is an ancient seedless (natural?) hybrid. However, have you ever noticed small brown specks at the blossom end of a banana? Those are vestigial seeds. For every about 100 thousand bananas, one will have seeds that can be made to grow. For every 1000 ones that grow, one will make it to maturity. For this reason, the Country of Honduras has a project where bananas are mashed through a sieve to recover those 'seeds'. They are sent to the U. of Louvain in Belgium where they do the growing. As they get plants, they multiply them and give them to people in India, Africa, South America etc. It is hoped on of these will show resistance to the new fungus. I'll stop this long post, there is so much more to say. For more info, look for info on Tropical Race Four.

Thanks for all the input! I love praying mantis. I think they are so cool. I never thought to "buy" them before. I'd heard of buying ladybugs, but nothing else. I'll give it a shot! Where do you get them from? I have this funny picture in my head of this big praying mantis with a little collar and leash tied to my shed like a puppy... lol... Do bought bugs really stay around long enough to do some good? Leisa

It is a Buprestid beetle, commonly called a metallic woodborer. Some of the species have very brilliant colors; almost all have the shiny, iridescent appearance that this one has. Our friend day by day might be able to ID the species, since it's in his neck of the woods. Not our friend - they cause a lot of damage to trees & shrubs. Great pictures, though - I wish I could get that kind of closeup. We have one up here in the North woods that looks just like it is made out of hammered brass. Tucker