Cercopidae
Leach, 1815
froghoppers, spittlebugs
Genus Guides
2- Aeneolamia(sugar-cane froghopper)
- Prosapia(froghoppers)
is the largest of Cercopoidea, a group of xylem-feeding insects in the hemipteran suborder Auchenorrhyncha. Commonly called froghoppers or spittlebugs, these insects are known for the frothy protective masses produced by nymphs and the powerful jumping ability of . A 2023 phylogenetic study elevated the New World Ischnorhininae to full family status as Ischnorhinidae, leaving Cercopidae sensu stricto as a monophyletic Old World group comprising two subfamilies: Cercopinae and Cosmoscartinae. Members are significant agricultural pests of forage grasses, sugarcane, and turfgrass throughout tropical and subtropical regions.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Cercopidae: //sɛrˈkoʊpɪdiː//
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Identification
are compact, robust insects with enlarged hind adapted for jumping. The is typically broad with large . Wings are held roof-like over the body at rest. Nymphs are soft-bodied and concealed within distinctive frothy spittle masses on plants. The sensu stricto (Old World) can be distinguished from the related Ischnorhinidae (New World, formerly Ischnorhininae) by phylogenetic affinity; morphological distinction between these groups requires examination of genitalic structures and molecular data.
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Habitat
Found in diverse environments including pastures, rangelands, turfgrass, agricultural fields, and natural vegetation. Nymphs develop on plants within protective spittle masses. are active on vegetation and capable of dispersing across varied landscapes.
Distribution
Diet
Xylem-feeders. Both nymphs and pierce plant vascular tissue to extract xylem sap. This dilute food source requires processing large volumes of fluid, with excess liquid excreted as honeydew or incorporated into the protective spittle mass by nymphs.
Life Cycle
Hemimetabolous development with five nymphal instars. Nymphs reside within protective spittle masses formed by excreting frothy bubbles of feeding wastes from the , combined with air siphoned through a abdominal canal. The spittle mass conceals nymphs from and desiccation. emerge from the final instar and do not produce spittle.
Behavior
Nymphs are sedentary, concealed within spittle masses. are capable of powerful jumping, reaching heights up to 115 times their body length, which provides rapid escape from . Jumping is facilitated by enlarged hind legs with elastic energy storage.
Ecological Role
Herbivores that transfer nutrients from plant xylem to higher . Nymphal spittle masses provide microhabitats for specialized organisms. Some plant including Xylella fastidiosa and Xanthomonas albilineans.
Human Relevance
Major agricultural pests causing significant economic damage to forage grasses, sugarcane, and turfgrass. The twolined spittlebug (Prosapia bicincta), now classified in Ischnorhinidae, invaded Hawaiʻi in 2016 and has damaged thousands of hectares of pasture. Spittlebugs reduce forage productivity, nutritional value, palatability, and digestibility. Management includes grazing strategies, grass varieties, and limited chemical control.
Similar Taxa
- IschnorhinidaeFormerly the Ischnorhininae within , elevated to status in 2023 based on closer phylogenetic ties to than to Cercopinae. Contains New World spittlebugs previously placed in Cercopidae.
- AphrophoridaeRelated of spittlebugs within Cercopoidea; some (Hemitriecphora, Microsargane) were transferred from to Aphrophoridae in 2023 based on molecular phylogenetic analysis.
- MachaerotidaeTube-making spittlebugs that construct calcareous tubes rather than frothy spittle masses; sister group to Ischnorhinidae.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Pasture Pest in Paradise: Invasive Bug Threatens Hawaiʻi Cattle Ranching
- Hemiptera | Beetles In The Bush | Page 6
- Super Crop Challenge #15 | Beetles In The Bush
- A New Guide for Understanding Insect Vectors of Plant Pathogen Xylella fastidiosa
- Spittlebug Implicated in Spread of Leaf Scald in Sugarcane
- Destination Monteverde, Costa Rica: Rainy day in the vanishing cloud forest with butterflies, moths, and froghoppers — Bug of the Week
- THE GENUS CLASTOPTERA (CERCOPIDAE)
- Taxonomic review of Catrimania (Hemiptera: Cercopidae: Ischnorhininae)
- Evaluation of lethal and repellent action of aqueous vegetable extracts for the control of spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae)
- Evalution of Cercopidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadomorpha) Species Distributed in Sinop and Kastamonu (Turkey) in Taxonomic Terms Sinop ve Kastamonu (Türkiye)’da Dağılım Gösteren Cercopidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadomorpha) Türlerinin Taksonomik Yönden Değerlendirilmesi
- Two-lined spittlebug, Prosapia bicincta (Say) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cercopidae)
- Prosapia bicincta (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) abundance, plant associations, and impacts on groundcover in Hawai'i Island rangelands.
- The adaptive nature of the foam proteome produced by Mahanarva spectabilis (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) when infesting forage grasses with different levels of antibiosis-type resistance.
- Molecular and Structural Characterization of Foam Proteins from Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant, 1909) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) Nymphs Reveals Adaptive Features and Potential Targets for Pest Control.