Spittlebug

I posted a BYGL Alert! about spittlebugs on hackberry ("Odd Spittlebug on Hackberry") yesterday.  I could have added another odd spittlebug to the post - and solved an old misconception - had I waited until later in the day to write the report.  Yesterday afternoon I came across the tell-tale frothy masses of a spittlebug on black walnut (Juglans nigra) while hiking around Miami Whitewater Forest - Great Parks of Hamilton County.  The spittle-masses were located on the twigs and in the leaf axils.  Oddly, the consistency of the froth was much like the spittle-masses...

During Wednesday's diagnostic walk-about in Shawnee Lookout - Great Parks of Hamilton County, Kathy Smith (OSU Extension Program Director - Forestry), spotted an unusual spittlebug on common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis).  The spittlebug nymphs were confined to the stems of the fruit (drupe); we could find none feeding anywhere else on two heavily infested trees.

During today's weekly BYGL Inservice, Amanda Bennett (OSU Extension, Miami County) shared some striking images of the frothy, spittle-like masses produced by dogwood spittlebug (Clastoptera proteus) on its namesake host.  Spittlebug (family Cercopidae) nymphs are responsible for producing the frothy masses; adults of these insects are called "froghoppers" and have an entirely different life style. 

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