Megan's Nature Nook
Nature Notes, Phenology, Photography, Fun Facts, Trips, Maybe Even a Bad Joke or Two... and More!
Recently on a walk through the prairie I stopped to observe and admire some frothy, foamy bubbles perched on the stem of a plant. I’ve seen these bubbles before and referred to them as something from a Spittlebug. But what exactly are these bubbles? Why did this insect leave them on a plant? What is the purpose? What exactly is a “Spittlebug,” is that the real name? I had all these questions and wanted to learn more. My curiosity prompted me to do a little investigating and close observation to get to the bottom of what exactly a Spittlebug is and what these bubbles are all about. Spittlebugs are in fact insects; they are part of the superfamily Cercopoidea. There are 54 species in Minnesota, with the Meadow Spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius) being the most common. The Spittlebug is the nymph stage, basically like a teenager in the insect world, that will then transform into the adult stage called Froghoppers. The nymph Spittlebugs have soft bodies up to ¼ inch long. They change in color from orange to yellow to green as they grow and have large red eyes located on the side of their head. The nymphs live in frothy, foamy, bubble masses that can be up to ¾ inches in size. The adult stage, often called Froghoppers because of their large hind legs for jumping, are ¼ inch long starting green in color and changing to brown or gray. Adults are not often seen. Spittlebugs get their name from the bubble masses they produce that look like blobs of spit on the stem of plants. These bubble masses are not actually spit but are made from emitting air from the abdomen into their urine along with another fluid that stabilized the bubbles and makes them last longer. So, they aren’t really Spittlebugs, but more like Piddlebugs! (Not my joke, but I wish it was! Philip G. D. Matthews, a researcher in the zoology department at the University of British Columbia came up with this more fitting description). Spittlebugs produce 150 - 280 times their body weight in urine a day, which would be equivalent to a 150-pound human emitting 2,700 gallons of urine in a day! With that much urine, they have a good supply to make as many bubbles as needed! Some species can even produce as many as 80 bubbles a minute!
Spittlebugs don’t produce bubble masses just because they produce a good supply of urine. They create these bubble masses during their nymph stage to protect themselves. As nymphs, their bodies are soft, so the bubble mass creates an environment that stays humid enough to prevent them from drying out. It also protects them from temperature extremes. Lastly, the bubble mass helps to protect them from predators, not only keeping them hidden from potential predators such as other insects or birds, but the bubbles have a bitter taste deterring potential predators from eating them. Spittlebug bubble masses can be seen in spring and early summer as the nymphs are growing. Eventually they will encase themselves in one large bubble where they will transform into an adult. The adults will spread out hopping from plant to plant and looking for available food sources as some plants dry out. In September to October females will head back to where the nymphs were and will lay clusters of eggs in plant debris like leaves and stems. The eggs overwinter in the leaflitter and will hatch in late April to early May. The newly hatched nymphs feed at the base of plants, moving up as the plant matures. They will spend about a month or two in their bubble masses before transforming into adults. The adults will continue to feed the rest of the summer. There is only one generation of Spittlebugs a year. Both the nymphs and adults feed on plant sap. They feed on a variety of plants including grasses, weeds, and herbaceous plants, especially goldenrod. You can often find them in gardens feeding on roses, chrysanthemums, and Shasta daisies. They also like alfalfa, clover, and strawberries to name a few. Spittlebugs are generally not damaging to plants unless there are large populations in a small area. At times they can cause leaves to lose their shape but often are not a problem. If there are large populations you can spray the bubble mass with a steady stream of water, but it will only be a temporary fix as they will just produce more bubbles soon after. Who knew those little frothy, foamy, bubbles held so much information! Take a walk through you garden, local park, or a prairie in spring to early summer and see if you can spot any of these bubble masses! Take a close look, can you spot any nymphs inside?!
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