Quote from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehopp…
Treehoppers (more precisely typical treehoppers to distinguish them from the Aetalionidae) and thorn bugs are members of the family Membracidae, a group of insects related to the cicadas and the leafhoppers. About 3,200 species of treehoppers in over 400 genera are known. They are found on all continents except Antarctica; only three species are known from Europe.
They are best known for their enlarged and ornate pronotum, which most often resembles thorns, apparently to aid camouflage. In some species, the pronotum grows to a horn-like extension, but even more bizarre and hard-to-describe shapes are also found.
Thorn bugs, due to their unusual appearance, have long interested naturalists. Distinguishing males from females is accomplished only by looking at the male genitalia. Individual treehoppers usually live for only a few months.
The specialised pronotum (or helmet) may not be simply an expansion of the prothoracic sclerite, but a fused pair of dorsal appendages of the first thoracic segment. They may be serial homologues of insect wings, which are dorsal appendages of the second and/or third thoracic segments. Evidence for this theory includes the development of the helmet, which arises as a pair of appendages attached to each side of the dorsal prothorax by an articulation with muscles and a flexible membrane that allow it to be mobile. Also, the same genes are involved in development of the helmet and the wings.
(haha, you from singapore too!)
Adorable! I thought by looking at it that it looked like a cicada. We have a lot of them here. I love getting to see them up close, though it rarely happens. I wish we had more bugs where I live. I guess it doesn't help that it's winter here.
I'm so jealous that you can go out and take pictures like these. What's the climate like in Singapore?