**Spittlebugs** (Family Cercopidae and Aphrophoridae) are small, plant-feeding insects famous for the distinctive white, frothy mass (resembling spit or foam) that their nymphs produce on plant stems. Common species include the **Meadow Spittlebug** (*Philaenus spumarius*). The conflict is typically **cosmetic**—the presence of the frothy foam—but high populations can cause **stunting, distortion of new growth**, and, in agricultural settings (like strawberries or forage crops), **significant yield loss**.
Taxonomy and Classification
Spittlebugs belong to the order Hemiptera (True Bugs). They undergo simple metamorphosis. The nymphs create the spittle mass by blowing air bubbles into excreted excess plant sap (xylem fluid) to protect themselves from predators, temperature extremes, and desiccation while they feed.
Physical Description
Adult Spittlebugs are tiny, 1/4 inch long.
- **Nymph (Key ID):** Hidden inside the **white, foamy, spittle mass** on the stem of the host plant. They are soft-bodied, yellowish-green to brown.
- **Adult (Key ID):** Small, brown or mottled, wedge-shaped insect that can jump (hence the confusion with leafhoppers).
- **Damage Sign (Key ID):**
- **Spittle Mass:** The unmistakable white froth, usually clustered at the stem tips or leaf axils in late spring/early summer.
- **Wilted Growth:** Stunted, distorted, or slightly wilted stems where the bug is actively feeding.
- **Conflict:** Cosmetic nuisance and agricultural stunting/yield loss.
Distribution and Habitat
Spittlebugs are found globally. Their habitat is the stems and leaves of a very wide variety of plants, including herbaceous perennials, weeds, small shrubs, and common crops like clover, alfalfa, and strawberries.
Behavior and Conflict
The conflict is usually aesthetic in the garden, but economically significant in the field.
- **Xylem Feeding:** They feed exclusively on xylem fluid (water and trace minerals), requiring them to process massive amounts of fluid, which is excreted and whipped into foam.
- **Low Toxicity:** The insect itself and the spittle mass are completely harmless to humans and pets.
- **Virus Transmission:** Some species can transmit plant diseases, such as Xylella fastidiosa (which causes Pierce’s Disease in grapes), adding a secondary layer of conflict.
Management and Prevention
Control is integrated pest management (IPM), favoring manual removal in gardens.
- **Water Spray:** For gardens and landscape plants, simply use a strong jet of water to wash the spittle mass and the nymph off the plant. Repeat as necessary.
- **Manual Removal:** Wipe the foam off with a gloved hand or cloth.
- Keep weeds down, as many spittlebugs breed on common weeds before moving to cultivated plants.
- Chemical control is rarely justified in a landscape. If necessary in a commercial field, a targeted insecticide may be applied, often focusing on the adult stage after the nymphs have emerged from the foam.
Conservation and Research
Spittlebugs are managed as agricultural and ornamental pests. Research focuses on their role as vectors for *Xylella* and other pathogens, and developing non-chemical methods to deter them from high-value crops.