Cercopoidea

Leach, 1815

froghoppers, spittlebugs

Family Guides

3

The superfamily comprises hemipteran insects commonly known as froghoppers or spittlebugs. possess powerful hind legs enabling jumps up to 70 cm vertically and 100 times their body length. Nymphs are renowned for producing foam shelters ("cuckoo spit") from excreted xylem sap, within which they develop concealed from and environmental extremes. The group exhibits xylem-feeding, an unusual trait among sap-feeding insects requiring symbiotic bacteria to supplement nutrient-poor diet.

Damaeus by (c) Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas. Used under a CC-BY license.Epidermoptidae by (c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cricket Raspet. Used under a CC-BY license.Psoroptidae by (c) Oleksii Vasyliuk, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Oleksii Vasyliuk. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cercopoidea: //sɛr.kəˈpɔɪ.di.ə//

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Identification

distinguished from similar Auchenorrhyncha by few stout spines on hind tibiae (leafhoppers possess series of small spines). Cercopidae adults often aposematically colored with reflexive bleeding from . Clastopteridae have wings modified to form false at tail end. resemble treehoppers due to enlarged scutellar spine (treehoppers have enlarged pronotum). Nymphs recognized by foam masses; Machaerotidae exceptional in constructing calcareous tubes rather than foam.

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Habitat

Diverse environments including herbaceous vegetation, trees, and tropical pastures. Some restricted to near-natural alpine rivers and brooks. Nymphs typically found on plants within foam shelters or tubes.

Distribution

distribution with strong representation in temperate and tropical regions. Bulgaria: 18 documented across 888 localities. Iran: 10 species recorded. New World: extensive tropical and subtropical distribution. Hawaiʻi: established 2016.

Seasonality

Activity coincides with rainy season in tropical regions. Nymphal foam production most conspicuous in spring. Long-term studies in California show declines linked to warming temperatures and spring drought conditions.

Diet

Xylem-feeding at all life stages; nymphs and pierce plants to suck dilute sap flowing upward from roots. Symbiotic bacteria in provide compensating for nutrient-poor xylem fluid.

Life Cycle

Hemimetabolous development with five nymphal instars. Nymphs complete development within protective foam masses or calcareous tubes (), emerging as capable of jumping. Duration and vary by and climate.

Behavior

Nymphs continuously excrete frothy bubbles from , creating foam shelters through abdominal contractions that eject air through tubelike canals. Foam serves multiple functions: concealment, thermal insulation, moisture retention, and chemical defense (acrid taste). jump between plants using catapult-like leg mechanics with accelerations exceeding 400 g.

Ecological Role

Herbivores consuming xylem sap; generally cause minimal plant damage despite high fluid throughput. Some achieve pest status in pastures, sugarcane, and forestry. Cephisus siccifolia documented as economic pest of eucalypt in Brazil. Mahanarva fimbriolata implicated as of Xanthomonas albilineans causing sugarcane leaf scald.

Human Relevance

Several are significant agricultural pests. Prosapia bicincta (twolined spittlebug) in Hawaiʻi since 2016, damaging thousands of hectares of kikuyu grass pastures and threatening cattle industry. Philaenus spumarius declining along California coast due to climate change, serving as for sensitivity. Some species used in research on insect biomechanics and jumping performance.

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