EntoSphere by Pujitha

 The 12-Year Hunt for Iowa's Rarest Insect Here's the story of a 12-year scientific detective case that started completely by accident. In 2008, an entomologist in Iowa found a tiny, unfamiliar insect in one of her traps. It turned out to be Fitchiella robertsonii , a planthopper so rare it had never been seen in the state before. That single discovery kicked off a decade-long search. The 12-Year Hunt for an Insect Ghost This one insect led two Iowa State scientists, Marlin Rice and M.J. Hatfield, on a mission. For years, they struggled, finding only two more specimens. The insect was a ghost. Then came the breakthrough. After painstaking work, they figured out its primary host plant: Indian grass . With this new lead, they clambered up steep, rocky prairies—the last remnants of native tallgrass habitats—to continue their search. In the end, they collected 219 specimens. That number might not sound like much, but it represents 90% of all F. robertsonii ever collected in the w...