Last weekend I visited a local county park. While walking through the nature trails, I came across large numbers of spittlebug masses on herbaceous plants. There were one or two masses per plant, and the plants were usually grouped together in the shade.
The reason for the name “spittlebug” should be readily apparent to anyone who sees their spittle masses. The frothy material is made when air bubbles are forcibly mixed via abdominal contractions with liquid excreted from the hind end of the insect. The spittle protects the immature stages of the insect (nymphs) from predators, temperature extremes, and desiccation. It’s quite effective, though I’m glad humans didn’t evolve with this particular survival strategy!
All lifestages of these insects consume plant sap using piecing/sucking mouthparts. Generally, they are not considered serious plant pests. If plants are under stress, infestations of spittlebugs may need to be managed. They are particularly serious on pines and other conifers. These insects may also act as vectors for the various pathogens, including the fungus Sphaeropsis pini (see my previous blog post), or Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium which causes Pierce’s disease in grapes and Bacterial Leaf Scorch in woody hosts. This disease is currently threatening Italian olive production.
Spittlebugs are also known as froghoppers due to the fact that adults can jump many times their height, but I think “spittlebug” is the perfect name for these little guys. No matter how bad your memory for names may be, you’ll always remember the frothy spittle masses once you’ve seen them!