Spittlebug - Clastoptera lineatocollis

Spittle bug females

My image of the same individual:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/87965/bgimage
...which I think may just be an older individual of the species represented by the freshly hatched one at
http://bugguide.net/node/view/87966/bgimage
...which shows her dorsum better than the images posted at
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/hemipt/Clastoptera.htm

… Peter Bryant, 21 November, 2006 - 12:15am

Clastoptera lineatocollis

Peter's images and size measurements are more definitive.

… Andy Hamilton, 21 November, 2006 - 7:44am

Great

That was my hope. I've cross-referenced Peter's post to this one, which I'd guess we should keep because of all the comments. If I'm wrong, feel free to frass.

… Ron Hemberger, 21 November, 2006 - 10:04am

Thumbnails

When you're refering to BugGuide images from within BugGuide, you can use the Thumb tag to make clickable thumbnails:

[Thumb:{image#}]

Example: [Thumb:87965] results in:

… Chuck Entz, 21 November, 2006 - 1:12am

Clastoptera lugubris

The largest and darkest of the Clastoptera that have black lines across the thorax is Clastoptera lugubris. It is actually about 5 mm long. The only host record we have for this species is Grindelia (gumweed), a compsite =Aster family (Asteraceae).

If this is indeed 7 mm long, or on a different host, then it might be an undescribed species. Please check again, and collect some specimens if possible. Baccharis is a likely host for this species. By "willow" do you mean Salix, or do you mean desert willow (Chilopsis linearis)?

… Andy Hamilton, 20 November, 2006 - 12:51pm

I don't think it's Chilopsis

This is in a coastal area, with good-sized mountains between it and the true desert are where one would expect Chilopsis

… Chuck Entz, 20 November, 2006 - 2:12pm

Wish I'd done better

I went back yesterday and saw nothing. Drat! A friend, Peter Bryant was with me on the original shoot and perhaps got better photos and/or was more observant. Size was estimated and may be smaller. I am very weak on plants, having been at this just a year and a half. This willow - if it is one - is by water and is the kind that looks like mule fat, but with thicker leaves. If memory serves, there were buds at the base of some leaves, looking somewhat like the spittlebug, though much smaller.

Peter notes an abnormally large number of spittlebugs this year, so there may be a chance for a future capture. However, this is the first adult I've seen. You might want to check his website to look at a few he's photographed before, some quite recently.
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/hemipt/Clastoptera.htm

Also, I've asked Peter to comment on this post.

… Ron Hemberger, 20 November, 2006 - 1:29pm

"willow"

From your description, this was probably "seep willow" which is a common western species and is also a member of Baccharis: B. sarothroides. It tends to grow as a clump of vertical stems up to 6 feet high, and has yellow flowers at the top in summer.

… Andy Hamilton, 21 November, 2006 - 7:47am

Spittle bug

I have an image of the same specimen Ron posted. I can't figure out how to add it here, so I'll post it separately.

… Peter Bryant, 20 November, 2006 - 11:54pm

Translation

For those unfamiliar with southwestern plant names: Mule Fat is a species of Baccharis, in the Sunflower Family, Asteraceae/Compositae. It got its name by being one of the few luxuriantly green plants out in the desert for a mule to get fat on.

… Chuck Entz, 19 November, 2006 - 12:24am

Expansion

That's more than I knew; thanks, Chuck. I'd heard that it makes mules flatulent, but have no first-hand knowledge. Do you know about this, he asks with a cagey indefinite reference?

… Ron Hemberger, 19 November, 2006 - 10:13am

I didn't know...

that you lacked first-hand knowledge, he replies, using that indefinite reference to avoid answering the question you thought you were asking...

… Chuck Entz, 19 November, 2006 - 11:11pm

Very

Good
LOL

… Ron Hemberger, 19 November, 2006 - 11:23pm