This small insect gets it name from the frothy, bubbly “spittle” it produces to make its home. The horticulture extension at the University of Wisconsin-Madison describes the process: “They produce the frothy mixture by mixing air with fluid excretions, but not out their mouth, so it technically isn’t spit. The immature bugs feed face down on the stem, and as excess sap is excreted out the anus, it is mixed with a substance secreted by epidermal glands that enhances surface viscosity and stabilizes the foam to make it last longer. This mixture is forced out of the abdomen under pressure and as it is mixed with air, it forms bubbles. Some species can produce as many as 80 bubbles per minute.”
At this stage, spittlebugs are in their nymphal form. This foamy mass attached to a plant stem hides it from predators, insulates it from extreme temperatures and keeps it from drying out. For food, both the nymph and the adult pierce the stems of plants and suck the sap.
I chased one out of its spittle that was attached to a stalk of grass and took a couple of photos. It crawled up the stem and immediately began to make bubbles. You can see that it is getting close to becoming an adult. The adult stage of the spittlebug is often called a froghopper. It has powerful, springy back legs for leaping and their faces somewhat resemble a frog. They have wings but they rarely fly.
There is only one generation each year. The nymphal stage lasts about 6 to 8 weeks and the adults emerge in late spring to early summer. In late summer to fall the females will lay eggs that will over winter. When they hatch in the spring, we will see the white, foam attached to plant stems again.
Spittlebugs and leafhoppers resemble each other and are related. Leafhoppers generally are smaller and more slender than spittlebugs. The adults will be springing into action soon, and I’ll be trying to tune in my awareness to find them. Maybe they’ll sit still for a photo.
