froghoppers

Definition

Common name for insects of the family Cercopidae, the largest family within the superfamily Cercopoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). These small, compact, jumping insects are characterized by their powerful hind legs adapted for leaping, xylem-feeding habits, and the nymphal production of protective "cuckoo spit"—a frothy mass of plant sap and air that conceals the developing juvenile. Adults typically exhibit rounded, frog-like body proportions that inspired their vernacular name. Recent phylogenetic work (2023) has reclassified the New World lineage Ischnorhininae as the separate family Ischnorhinidae, restricting Cercopidae primarily to Old World taxa.

Etymology

From frog + hopper, referring to the frog-like body shape and jumping locomotion of adults

Example

The meadow froghopper (Philaenus spumarius) is a widespread European species whose nymphs produce conspicuous cuckoo spit on herbaceous plants; adults are capable of jumping distances exceeding 100 times their body length, making them among the most powerful jumpers relative to body size in the animal kingdom.

Synonyms

• Cercopidae (family name)
• spittlebugs (broader, includes related families)

Related Terms

• Cercopoidea
• Auchenorrhyncha
• xylem feeding
• cuckoo spit
• spittlebugs
• Leafhoppers
• Ischnorhinidae

Usage Notes

Technically refers specifically to family Cercopidae, though "spittlebug" is sometimes used interchangeably in broader contexts to include related cercopoid families (Aphrophoridae, Clastopteridae, Epipygidae, Machaerotidae). The 2023 taxonomic revision restricting Cercopidae to primarily Old World taxa is still being adopted in literature; older sources may use the name more broadly. Distinguished from leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) by body form, jumping ability, and nymphal biology.