Jumping Plant Lice: The Fastest Front-Flipping Insects
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- čas přidán 4. 10. 2020
- Jumping plant lice, or psyllids, are the fastest front-flipping insects, but not many people know about how amazing they are! I set out to film the high-flying flips of these plant-feeding, often thought of as “pest”, insects. They are hemipterans in the superfamily Psylloidea and are often referred to as “psyllids”. Most of the shots, unless other with labeled in the video, were captured at 3,200 frames per second.
If you want to read more about how they jump, the research study I mentioned in the video is this:
Jumping mechanisms in jumping plant lice (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Psyllidae) by M. Burrows (2012) Journal of Experimental Biology 215: 3612-3621; doi: 10.1242/jeb.074682
jeb.biologists.org/content/21...
Psyllid species in this video, in order of appearance:
Hop-hornbeam psyllid, adults (Psylla carpinicola): bugguide.net/node/view/1075793
Persimmon Psyllid, adults and nymphs (Baeoalitriozus diospyri): bugguide.net/node/view/1031868
Yaupon Psyllid, nymphs only (Gyropsylla ilecis): bugguide.net/node/view/1092265
All collected from Raleigh and Cary, NC. September, 2020. Special thanks to Matt Bertone for help collecting and identifying these insects! Check out his incredible insect macro photography here: www.flickr.com/photos/7679027...
And follow him on Twitter, here: / bertonemyia
Music by www.soundofpicture.com/
I had no idea these insects had any interesting characteristics. I've always just assumed they were gnats, as broad a term as that is. Great cinematography as always!
This is my new favorite channel.
Same
Izzy por aqui xd
É MUITO bom. As filmagens de voo são espetaculares. E as formigas claro, minhas preferidas
Same
Mine too😁😁
SAMEEEEEE
We got a real groovin' one at 3:56!
Look at those wiggles!
2:08 - 2:17 I think I watched this little sequence 20 times now...the way it looks, the way it walks, the way the little wings pop out into position and start flapping, and the way the the legs spring out to launch, it almost looks mechanical, and adorable. Nature is awesome, thanks for the slow-mo close ups, really cool videos!
Nice as always!!!- Rob
Only channel that i know were you see heminiptera not being called pest or explaining what you can do to eliminate them and i gotta say i love it. Its nice to see animals of any kind being seen behaviing in a relatively natural way and not get killed for just being themselves for once
Insects are awesome, thank you for the videos! The world needs more people to understand those fascinating animals! 💯
How Did Life Begin?
When you were a child, did you ever startle your parents by asking, “Where do babies come from?” If so, how did they respond? Depending on your age and their personality, your parents might have ignored the question or given you a hurried, embarrassed answer. Or perhaps they told you some fanciful tales that you later found to be false. Of course, if a child is to be properly prepared for adulthood and marriage, he or she eventually needs to learn about the wonders of sexual reproduction.
Just as many parents feel awkward about discussing where babies come from, some scientists seem reluctant to discuss an even more fundamental question-Where did life come from? Receiving a credible answer to that question can have a profound effect on a person’s outlook on life. So how did life begin?

A fertilized human egg cell, shown about 800 times its actual size
What do many scientists claim? Many who believe in evolution would tell you that billions of years ago, life began on the edge of an ancient tidal pool or deep in the ocean. They feel that in some such location, chemicals spontaneously assembled into bubblelike structures, formed complex molecules, and began replicating. They believe that all life on earth originated by accident from one or more of these “simple” original cells.
Other equally respected scientists who also support evolution disagree. They speculate that the first cells or at least their major components arrived on earth from outer space. Why? Because, despite their best efforts, scientists have been unable to prove that life can spring from nonliving molecules. In 2008, Professor of Biology Alexandre Meinesz highlighted the dilemma. He stated that over the last 50 years, “no empirical evidence supports the hypotheses of the spontaneous appearance of life on Earth from nothing but a molecular soup, and no significant advance in scientific knowledge leads in this direction.”1
What does the evidence reveal? The answer to the question, Where do babies come from? is well-documented and uncontroversial. Life always comes from preexisting life. However, if we go back far enough in time, is it really possible that this fundamental law was broken? Could life really spontaneously spring from nonliving chemicals? What are the chances that such an event could happen?
Researchers have learned that for a cell to survive, at least three different types of complex molecules must work together-DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA (ribonucleic acid), and proteins. Today, few scientists would assert that a complete living cell suddenly formed by chance from a mix of inanimate chemicals. What, though, is the probability that RNA or proteins could form by chance? *

Stanley Miller, 1953
Many scientists feel that life could arise by chance because of an experiment first conducted in 1953. In that year, Stanley L. Miller was able to produce some amino acids, the chemical building blocks of proteins, by discharging electricity into a mixture of gases that was thought to represent the atmosphere of primitive earth. Since then, amino acids have also been found in a meteorite. Do these findings mean that all the basic building blocks of life could easily be produced by chance?
“Some writers,” says Robert Shapiro, professor emeritus of chemistry at New York University, “have presumed that all life’s building blocks could be formed with ease in Miller-type experiments and were present in meteorites. This is not the case.”2 *
Consider the RNA molecule. It is constructed of smaller molecules called nucleotides. A nucleotide is a different molecule from an amino acid and is only slightly more complex. Shapiro says that “no nucleotides of any kind have been reported as products of spark-discharge experiments or in studies of meteorites.”3 He further states that the probability of a self-replicating RNA molecule randomly assembling from a pool of chemical building blocks “is so vanishingly small that its happening even once anywhere in the visible universe would count as a piece of exceptional good luck.”4

RNA (1) is required to make proteins (2), yet proteins are involved in the production of RNA. How could either one arise by chance, let alone both? Ribosomes (3) will be discussed in section 2.
What about protein molecules? They can be made from as few as 50 or as many as several thousand amino acids bound together in a highly specific order. The average functional protein in a “simple” cell contains 200 amino acids. Even in those cells, there are thousands of different types of proteins. The probability that just one protein containing only 100 amino acids could ever randomly form on earth has been calculated to be about one chance in a million billion.
If the creation of complex molecules in the laboratory requires the skill of a scientist, could the far more complex molecules in a cell really arise by chance?
Researcher Hubert P. Yockey, who supports the teaching of evolution, goes further. He says: “It is impossible that the origin of life was ‘proteins first.’”5 RNA is required to make proteins, yet proteins are involved in the production of RNA. What if, despite the extremely small odds, both proteins and RNA molecules did appear by chance in the same place at the same time? How likely would it be for them to cooperate to form a self-replicating, self-sustaining type of life? “The probability of this happening by chance (given a random mixture of proteins and RNA) seems astronomically low,” says Dr. Carol Cleland *, a member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Astrobiology Institute. “Yet,” she continues, “most researchers seem to assume that if they can make sense of the independent production of proteins and RNA under natural primordial conditions, the coordination will somehow take care of itself.” Regarding the current theories of how these building blocks of life could have arisen by chance, she says: “None of them have provided us with a very satisfying story about how this happened.”6

If it takes an intelligent entity to create and program a lifeless robot, what would it take to create a living cell, let alone a human?
Why do these facts matter? Think of the challenge facing researchers who feel that life arose by chance. They have found some amino acids that also appear in living cells. In their laboratories, they have, by means of carefully designed and directed experiments, manufactured other more complex molecules. Ultimately, they hope to build all the parts needed to construct a “simple” cell. Their situation could be likened to that of a scientist who takes naturally occurring elements; transforms them into steel, plastic, silicone, and wire; and constructs a robot. He then programs the robot to be able to build copies of itself. By doing so, what will he prove? At best, that an intelligent entity can create an impressive machine.
Similarly, if scientists ever did construct a cell, they would accomplish something truly amazing-but would they prove that the cell could be made by accident? If anything, they would prove the very opposite, would they not?
What do you think? All scientific evidence to date indicates that life can come only from previously existing life. To believe that even a “simple” living cell arose by chance from nonliving chemicals requires a huge leap of faith.
Given the facts, are you willing to make such a leap? Before answering that question, take a closer look at the way a cell is made. Doing so will help you discern whether the theories some scientists propound about where life came from are sound or are as fanciful as the tales some parents tell about where babies come from.
FACTS AND QUESTIONS
Fact: All scientific research indicates that life cannot spring from nonliving matter.
Question: What is the scientific basis for saying that the first cell sprang from nonliving chemicals?
Fact: Researchers have recreated in the laboratory the environmental conditions that they believe existed early in the earth’s history. In these experiments, a few scientists have manufactured some of the molecules found in living things.
Question: If the chemicals in the experiment represent the earth’s early environment and the molecules produced represent the building blocks of life, whom or what does the scientist who performed the experiment represent? Does he or she represent blind chance or an intelligent entity?
Fact: Protein and RNA molecules must work together for a cell to survive. Scientists admit that it is highly unlikely that RNA formed by chance. The odds against even one protein forming by chance are astronomical. It is exceedingly improbable that RNA and proteins should form by chance in the same place at the same time and be able to work together.
Question: What takes greater faith-to believe that the millions of intricately coordinated parts of a cell arose by chance or to believe that the cell is the product of an intelligent mind?
@@samoriab5999 does it make you feel good to dump that off there? Do you think it helps people to spam comments with your silliness and outdated "science?"
Spend your effort elsewhere. Even if I believed in your god I wouldn't proselytize by copy-paste.
@@kj_H65f Thank you for your response, you may not appreciate it however, i am %100 sure you dont think you speak for everyone. In fact I have had other people message me back to find out more. However i do appreciate your response, please enjoy the rest of your day.🙂
the suspense of wondering if the just flip themselves into the unknown or if they were able to take flight was driving me nuts! Awesome videos. Subscribed!
I love the beauty and complexity of insects. Thank you for letting me know how to appreciate the world a little more.
Nobody:
Jumping Plant Lice; Y E E T
I haven't seen anything like this on yt, and I'm here for it. Can't wait to see what else you produce, thank you for blessing us with the adorable flips they do. :D
Your channel is awesome. Deserves so many more views.
You have a truly amazing channel. Everything from the content, the explanations, the cinematography to the slow motion element is beautiful.
With a little bit of luck, if you keep this up you could definitely get hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
Love psyllids! Worked on cataloging the Arizona native and introduced species a few years ago.
They look like GMOD props when thrown straight up in the air
You're one of the few people on this platform that makes consistently incredible videos that are fun and SO interesting to watch and learn from. Thanks man, seriously
How Did Life Begin?
When you were a child, did you ever startle your parents by asking, “Where do babies come from?” If so, how did they respond? Depending on your age and their personality, your parents might have ignored the question or given you a hurried, embarrassed answer. Or perhaps they told you some fanciful tales that you later found to be false. Of course, if a child is to be properly prepared for adulthood and marriage, he or she eventually needs to learn about the wonders of sexual reproduction.
Just as many parents feel awkward about discussing where babies come from, some scientists seem reluctant to discuss an even more fundamental question-Where did life come from? Receiving a credible answer to that question can have a profound effect on a person’s outlook on life. So how did life begin?

A fertilized human egg cell, shown about 800 times its actual size
What do many scientists claim? Many who believe in evolution would tell you that billions of years ago, life began on the edge of an ancient tidal pool or deep in the ocean. They feel that in some such location, chemicals spontaneously assembled into bubblelike structures, formed complex molecules, and began replicating. They believe that all life on earth originated by accident from one or more of these “simple” original cells.
Other equally respected scientists who also support evolution disagree. They speculate that the first cells or at least their major components arrived on earth from outer space. Why? Because, despite their best efforts, scientists have been unable to prove that life can spring from nonliving molecules. In 2008, Professor of Biology Alexandre Meinesz highlighted the dilemma. He stated that over the last 50 years, “no empirical evidence supports the hypotheses of the spontaneous appearance of life on Earth from nothing but a molecular soup, and no significant advance in scientific knowledge leads in this direction.”1
What does the evidence reveal? The answer to the question, Where do babies come from? is well-documented and uncontroversial. Life always comes from preexisting life. However, if we go back far enough in time, is it really possible that this fundamental law was broken? Could life really spontaneously spring from nonliving chemicals? What are the chances that such an event could happen?
Researchers have learned that for a cell to survive, at least three different types of complex molecules must work together-DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA (ribonucleic acid), and proteins. Today, few scientists would assert that a complete living cell suddenly formed by chance from a mix of inanimate chemicals. What, though, is the probability that RNA or proteins could form by chance? *

Stanley Miller, 1953
Many scientists feel that life could arise by chance because of an experiment first conducted in 1953. In that year, Stanley L. Miller was able to produce some amino acids, the chemical building blocks of proteins, by discharging electricity into a mixture of gases that was thought to represent the atmosphere of primitive earth. Since then, amino acids have also been found in a meteorite. Do these findings mean that all the basic building blocks of life could easily be produced by chance?
“Some writers,” says Robert Shapiro, professor emeritus of chemistry at New York University, “have presumed that all life’s building blocks could be formed with ease in Miller-type experiments and were present in meteorites. This is not the case.”2 *
Consider the RNA molecule. It is constructed of smaller molecules called nucleotides. A nucleotide is a different molecule from an amino acid and is only slightly more complex. Shapiro says that “no nucleotides of any kind have been reported as products of spark-discharge experiments or in studies of meteorites.”3 He further states that the probability of a self-replicating RNA molecule randomly assembling from a pool of chemical building blocks “is so vanishingly small that its happening even once anywhere in the visible universe would count as a piece of exceptional good luck.”4

RNA (1) is required to make proteins (2), yet proteins are involved in the production of RNA. How could either one arise by chance, let alone both? Ribosomes (3) will be discussed in section 2.
What about protein molecules? They can be made from as few as 50 or as many as several thousand amino acids bound together in a highly specific order. The average functional protein in a “simple” cell contains 200 amino acids. Even in those cells, there are thousands of different types of proteins. The probability that just one protein containing only 100 amino acids could ever randomly form on earth has been calculated to be about one chance in a million billion.
If the creation of complex molecules in the laboratory requires the skill of a scientist, could the far more complex molecules in a cell really arise by chance?
Researcher Hubert P. Yockey, who supports the teaching of evolution, goes further. He says: “It is impossible that the origin of life was ‘proteins first.’”5 RNA is required to make proteins, yet proteins are involved in the production of RNA. What if, despite the extremely small odds, both proteins and RNA molecules did appear by chance in the same place at the same time? How likely would it be for them to cooperate to form a self-replicating, self-sustaining type of life? “The probability of this happening by chance (given a random mixture of proteins and RNA) seems astronomically low,” says Dr. Carol Cleland *, a member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Astrobiology Institute. “Yet,” she continues, “most researchers seem to assume that if they can make sense of the independent production of proteins and RNA under natural primordial conditions, the coordination will somehow take care of itself.” Regarding the current theories of how these building blocks of life could have arisen by chance, she says: “None of them have provided us with a very satisfying story about how this happened.”6

If it takes an intelligent entity to create and program a lifeless robot, what would it take to create a living cell, let alone a human?
Why do these facts matter? Think of the challenge facing researchers who feel that life arose by chance. They have found some amino acids that also appear in living cells. In their laboratories, they have, by means of carefully designed and directed experiments, manufactured other more complex molecules. Ultimately, they hope to build all the parts needed to construct a “simple” cell. Their situation could be likened to that of a scientist who takes naturally occurring elements; transforms them into steel, plastic, silicone, and wire; and constructs a robot. He then programs the robot to be able to build copies of itself. By doing so, what will he prove? At best, that an intelligent entity can create an impressive machine.
Similarly, if scientists ever did construct a cell, they would accomplish something truly amazing-but would they prove that the cell could be made by accident? If anything, they would prove the very opposite, would they not?
What do you think? All scientific evidence to date indicates that life can come only from previously existing life. To believe that even a “simple” living cell arose by chance from nonliving chemicals requires a huge leap of faith.
Given the facts, are you willing to make such a leap? Before answering that question, take a closer look at the way a cell is made. Doing so will help you discern whether the theories some scientists propound about where life came from are sound or are as fanciful as the tales some parents tell about where babies come from.
FACTS AND QUESTIONS
Fact: All scientific research indicates that life cannot spring from nonliving matter.
Question: What is the scientific basis for saying that the first cell sprang from nonliving chemicals?
Fact: Researchers have recreated in the laboratory the environmental conditions that they believe existed early in the earth’s history. In these experiments, a few scientists have manufactured some of the molecules found in living things.
Question: If the chemicals in the experiment represent the earth’s early environment and the molecules produced represent the building blocks of life, whom or what does the scientist who performed the experiment represent? Does he or she represent blind chance or an intelligent entity?
Fact: Protein and RNA molecules must work together for a cell to survive. Scientists admit that it is highly unlikely that RNA formed by chance. The odds against even one protein forming by chance are astronomical. It is exceedingly improbable that RNA and proteins should form by chance in the same place at the same time and be able to work together.
Question: What takes greater faith-to believe that the millions of intricately coordinated parts of a cell arose by chance or to believe that the cell is the product of an intelligent mind?
Thank you. I so look forward to your videos and learn something new every time. Great and awesome !
Your videos just popped into my recommendations. And I gotta say I really appreciate your work. This is really fun to watch.
I just imagine this bug says YEET when it gets spooked
Neat video, the way their legs spring is neat to see in slomo!
Most of my life I've been afraid of bugs. But after watching your videos I find myself watching them very closely. I've found a lot of them are pretty neat - even funny kind of.
I just found this channel I'm hooked already!
Yo how does this channel not have over 100k subs? CZcams sucks. Keep going man this is amazing quality content
How does this channel only have 20k subs ? You deserve much more !
Hi, I really enjoy your slow motion insect videos. They’re fascinating. Thank you!
This channel is extremely underrated
And to think that human gymnasts are happy with a "10", ha! These Lice would be off the charts! LOVE your work Doctor!
I love these videos, I always finish them grinning ear to ear
Lovin these funky little flippy dudes
this channel really made me appreciate insects a lot more.
haha my fav channel so far! I don't know why each time I see videos of bugs I tend to scratch my self every where lol
Thank you for your work and these amazing videos. I've always been fascinated by insects; their diversity of form, their lifecycles, and their behaviors. Your videos reveal how even more amazing they are. Truly there are miracles all around us.
A hidden world I knew nothing about. Thank you for the film.
I alway say these little bugs around the garden and appreciated their jumping prowess, never did I know how chaotic their jumping really is!
Beautiful photography, as usual.
Amazing video, as usual. You need much more views and subscribers!!! I learned so much from this super slo-mo videos!!! So cool
Please keep posting videos like these!!!!!
My new fav channel!
This channel is about to blow up
Thank you good sir for your amazing edits and information!
Constantly so great! Would love to see a comparison of takeoffs of insects across physical scales. It seems like the smaller you are the less it seems to matter rotation or direction. Also what's the largest and smallest flying insect in general???
Thanks! I feel like I am building towards trying to have a video of every type of spring-loaded insect. There are a bunch left to do, but then it’d be cool to put it all together into something more comparative!
I’d say the smallest flying insect is either the thrip or a certain minuscule species of parasitoid wasp, the name of which escapes me.
They must have very complicated internal gyroscopes!! What lovely little critters.
I didn’t know nature had so many street dancers.🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔this channel is teaching so much.
Wow, these takes are really great!! Thank you for sharing
I don't get why you don't have more than 15k subs. Have they not featured you yet? Is the upload too sporadic? Your videos are top notch down to the editing, and for FREE. Thank you for your time and effort dude.
Thanks! I don't worry too much about "making it" on CZcams. I am lucky to have a job that supports me doing this as part of it. I don't make too many video-making decisions based on subscriber numbers. I just try to make the best thing I can, and put something into the world that, I think, is worth watching.
@@AntLab If you ever decide to hire an artist for a merch line, let us know. I would be happy to sport Ant Lab gear.
AMAZING content !!!! Congratulations 🎊🎉
I often see sticky fruit deformations that look vaguely like this on acorns here in germany. Next summer I might disect one because that footage of these tiny nymphs crawling around was awesome
Solid video sir
How most of the world people can miss the most wonderful and lovely creatures ❣️ insects❣️
They look like tiny cicadas!
Is it true that when you go under a tree full of noisy cicadas, the little misty droplets you feel falling on you is their urine raining down?🤔
Great work on not only this video, but all of your slow motion insect vids!
I especially enjoy watching flying insects in slow mo.
Here in Australia, we have these tiny fly, or bee like things in the garden that have the ability to hover in a very precise way. They seem to be able to compensate for wind gusts as if they have a built-in gyro stabilisation. They're roughly 8mm long, have a thin, straight abdomen with black and yellow latitudinal stripes (or rings). I don't know what they are called, so I just call them hover flies!😄
Maybe you could feature them in a future video, if you can figure out what they are from my description.
Amazing videos, made me think of the Planet Earth documentaries; this should go big
Hi, my name is Missy. I just subscribed to you using my husbands tablet. Loved the first video. Really loved this! Wish there were toys that were large that behaved this way so we could play around with them. These creatures were made in the most marvelous ways with the most marvelous abilities and huge variety.
Great video!!!
Fantastic videos 👍
Love the front flips
Amazing content!
Just found your channel, love your videos! I am a fellow invert keeper, hope to be entomologist one day. Love what you do, keep up the great work 👍
I kind of want to see a gymnastics competition between all of these insanely acrobatics bugs
These guys are often found on an apple tree in my backyard. I didn't know their names but i've known these for a long time
I kept expecting to see the arc but they just keep going straight.
How can you not be scared of bugs? I’m terrified of all of them.
Solid!
Top KEK!
Here before this channel blows up to 1mil subs
Amazing. Subscribed
A very interesting video. I never knew such an insect existed.
They look like popping seeds haha thank YOU for educating us Dr Adrian!!!
They jump like this because it's cool. Kkkk. I'm from Brazil and your videos are amazing.
Front flipping the hell out of the way that's fire 🔥
Where’s your channel been all my life...
I think it's pretty obvious why these and springtails do flips, they are trying to impress Markiplier.
Fascinating! Could the spinning just be for stability? A kind if gyro to keep them spinning in the same plane and increase the chances of landing in, or rolling to, a "feet down" position.
Subscribed 😍
Jumping plant lice be like:Yeet
How did you get the psyllids and how do you look after them? Thanks
Would love a video like this on springtails... They're so tiny and hard to see what really goes on.
Look through my videos for one I put out in March about that very topic!
Do a lab tour please🙏
すごい！！
Isn't that similar to the springtail jump?
bruh, won't these little things get giddy?
what sorta mechanism do insects use to sense balance / 3d position in space, anyway?
they kinda look like mini cicadas! (i’d assume thats bc they are hemipterans)
Do they all deploy their wings eventually or just the ones that you showed?
Not sure, but all the ones I’ve seen do fly
Vinny: SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN
What other insects do you think are under appreciated/studied
it looks so stupid I absolutely love it
It’d be nice to also see motion speed in actual speed
it looks like it says: "gravity? never heard of that"
❤
Has to be for escape of some sort...
0:32
That is cool🤎 Very very cool🤎 I wish I could do that many back flips I'd be very very cool🤎🤍🤎🤍🤎🖤
0:15 who turned off this bugs gravity
They jump? I just thought they fly, very very fast.
Even in slow mo it's kinda difficult to understand how they do it.
DO A FLIP! -OOOOH!
Anyone can tell me how to shut down YT subtitles? They block the bugs!
There's a "CC" button on the desktop player and the 3 dots in the corner on mobile lead you to that option. Sorry they are in the way, I have no way of controlling where CZcams places them.
@@AntLab thanks man. New sub😁👍
Thought you called it a silly
This guy looks like if mark zuckenberg and the typical nerd from high school movies/films had a baby
wacky evolution
Nobody:
Leaf lice: I'm out
Wheeeeeee......