Stories in the Amber

This "alligator-headed" planthopper indeed resembles its reptilian namesake. And perhaps not just in name: scientists have seen modern versions of such planthoppers resting with their snouts high in the air, not unlike the stance that some reptiles maintain. "Whether this behavior actually frightens potential predators is unknown," writes George Poinar, Jr. in his book The Amber Forest, "but why else would such a posture evolve?"