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Flower pickers in fresh meadows can’t avoid noticing the traces of the froghopper’s or spittlebug’s activities.

 

When the spittlebug larva has hatched from the egg it starts feeding. Let’s look more closely at such a „spit gob“.

 

Inside the gob is a yellowish green, half a centimetre long relative of the cicadas, with a soft body. With its head pointing towards the ground it has pressed its strong sucking snout into the stem of the plant to get at the sap. A digested, sugar-rich excretion, rather like soapy water, dribbles along the body. The bug produces the „soap suds“ froth by pumping air through the breathing vents on its belly. A peculiar defense mechanism against enemies – who wants to touch spittle?

 

The froghopper imago can be black as well as pale yellow, it has wings for flying and strong hind legs for jumping. We will only rarely see it. The froghopper has two compound eyes in addition to its two ordinary eyes. The cautious and prudent bug does not like to let anyone close to it.