Spittlebug
Order/Family: Homoptera/Cercopidae
Description:
- They are dull colored.
- The head is triangular, and the wings are held tent-like over the abdomen.
- They are 1/4- to 1/2-inch long.
- The small nymphs are greenish yellow and can be found under a “ball of spit” on twigs.
- They have piercing and sucking mouthparts.
Biology and Habits:
- They overwinter as eggs in bark cracks.
- Adults and nymphs feed on plant juices.
- Developing nymphs feed and develop while covered with an accumulation of spittle.
- Some species produce a toxin that destroys plant tissue.
- Typically there is one generation per year.
Plants Attacked:
- Dogwood, alder, birch, pine, holly, witch hazel, and redbud.
Damage:
- Leaf stunting may occur, followed by distortion and twig dieback.
- Occasionally diseases, such as a fungus in pines, are introduced through feeding sites.