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spittlebug
(redirected from Spittlebugs)

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spittlebug: see froghopper froghopper or spittlebug, small, hopping insect of the order Homoptera. The adult, under 1-2 in. (1.2 cm) long in most species, is triangular in shape and usually gray or dull green to brown.
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spittlebug

 or froghopper

Any of some 2,000 species of hopping insects (family Cercopidae, order Homoptera) with whitish nymphs that use a special abdominal valve to aerate an anal fluid secretion. The resulting frothy spittle protects the nymphs from enemies and desiccation. Adults are less than 0.6 in. (1.5 cm) long. The meadow spittlebug (Philaenus leucophthalmus), of Europe and North America, resembles a frog and is a powerful leaper. It feeds extensively on clover and alfalfa, causing severe stunting that can result in the loss of up to 50% of a crop. Some African species occur in such enormous numbers that their spittle drips from tree branches like rain.



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Other insects such as spittlebugs do only minor damage.
Spittlebugs appear on pine trees, azalea mites on azaleas, cankerworms on elms and maples, lace bugs on the mountain ash.
Froghoppers are also called spittlebugs, because they emerge from nymphs that are bathed in protective foam, sometimes known as cuckoo spit, that hangs from foliage.
 
 
 
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