Cephisus
Guides
Cephisus laticeps
Cephisus laticeps is a species of froghopper (family Aphrophoridae) described by Hamilton in 2012. It belongs to the genus Cephisus, which is the sole New World representative of the tribe Ptyelini. Species in this genus are known for producing exceptionally large spittle masses as nymphs, with some reaching pest status on economically important plants. The specific epithet 'laticeps' refers to a broad-headed characteristic.
Ptyelini
Ptyelini is a tribe of spittlebugs (family Aphrophoridae, order Hemiptera) characterized by large-bodied nymphs that produce copious amounts of frothy spittle. The tribe contains multiple genera distributed across the Old World tropics, with Cephisus being the sole representative genus in the New World. Members are xylem-feeding insects whose nymphal stage is concealed within protective spittle masses.