Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Family Aphrophoridae - Typical Spittlebugs

Spittlebug - Aphrophora gelida green hopper - Philaenus spumarius Aphrophora cribrata Spittlebug Early Instar ?   - Philaenus spumarius diamondback spittlebug - Lepyronia quadrangularis Hopper - Philaenus spumarius Small brown hopper identification request - Lepyronia quadrangularis Spittle Bug  - Lepyronia coleoptrata
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Auchenorrhyncha (True Hoppers)
Infraorder Cicadomorpha (Cicadas, Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, and Treehoppers)
Superfamily Cercopoidea (Spittlebugs)
Family Aphrophoridae (Typical Spittlebugs)
Explanation of Names
Aphrophoridae Amyot & Serville 1843
Spittlebug: nymphs surround themselves with a frothy mass that resembles spittle
Numbers
~30 spp. in 7 genera in our area,> ~930 spp. in ~160 genera total(1); genus not yet in the guide: Paraphilaenus Vilbaste 1962, P. parallelus (Stearns 1918) ON-WI-?IL
Identification
Key to genera and most spp. in(3)
Range
worldwide
Life Cycle
After the nymph molts for the final time, the resulting adult insect leaves the mass of "spittle" and moves about actively. The "spittle" is derived from a fluid voided from the anus and from a mucilaginous substance excreted by epidermal glands. Nymphs wander away from their spittle masses, and either start new ones, or enter those of other nymphs. Aphrophora nymphs hold the record, of one spittle mass over a foot long containing about 100 individuals! --A.K.G. Hamilton