Cercopoidea
Guides
Aphrophora irrorata
Speckled spittlebug
Aphrophora irrorata is a species of spittlebug in the family Aphrophoridae, first described by Ball in 1899. The species is recognized as valid by GBIF and NCBI, though listed as a synonym in the Catalogue of Life. It belongs to the subgenus Plesiommata within Aphrophora. Like other spittlebugs, it feeds on plant sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts. The specific epithet 'irrorata' refers to a speckled or sprinkled appearance, likely describing the color pattern.
Clastoptera achatina
pecan spittlebug
Clastoptera achatina is a spittlebug species in the family Clastopteridae, commonly known as the pecan spittlebug. It is found in North America and has a documented association with pecan trees. The species produces the characteristic frothy spittle mass that gives spittlebugs their common name.
Clastoptera distincta
Dwarf Mistletoe Spittlebug
Clastoptera distincta is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, described by Doering in 1929. It is known by the common name "Dwarf Mistletoe Spittlebug," indicating an association with dwarf mistletoe plants. The species occurs in the southwestern United States, with documented records from Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Like other members of Clastopteridae, the nymphs produce spittle masses for protection.
Clastoptera doeringae
Mountain-juniper Spittlebug
Clastoptera doeringae, the mountain-juniper spittlebug, is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae. It is found in western North America, with records from Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, and Nevada. As a member of the spittlebug family, it is known to produce protective frothy masses as nymphs. The species was described by Hamilton in 1978.
Clastoptera mineralis
Clastoptera mineralis is a recently described species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, formally named in 2023. The genus Clastoptera contains species commonly known as spittlebugs or froghoppers, recognized for the nymphal habit of producing protective foam masses on vegetation. As a newly described species, detailed biological information remains limited. It belongs to a family of xylem-feeding insects that are frequently preyed upon by solitary wasps.
Clastoptera pallidocephala
Clastoptera pallidocephala is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, first described by Doering in 1929. It belongs to a genus whose larvae are known as spittlebugs, producing protective froth masses on host plants. The species epithet "pallidocephala" refers to a pale or light-colored head. This species has been recorded in the southwestern United States.
Clastoptera querci
Clastoptera querci is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, described in 2020. The specific epithet "querci" indicates an association with oak (Quercus), suggesting a host relationship with oak trees. As a member of the spittlebug superfamily Cercopoidea, this species shares the characteristic nymphal habit of producing protective foam masses on host plants. The genus Clastoptera is the primary genus within its family and is distributed across North America.
Clastoptera saintcyri
Heath Spittlebug
Clastoptera saintcyri, commonly known as the heath spittlebug, is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae. It is native to North America and has been documented across multiple regions of the United States. The species produces protective spittle masses during its nymphal stage, a characteristic trait of spittlebugs. It has been recorded as prey for the digger wasp Clitemnestra bipunctata.
Clastoptera salicis
Clastoptera salicis is a spittlebug species in the family Clastopteridae, described by Doering in 1926. The species is documented from Kansas and Missouri in North America. As a member of the genus Clastoptera, it produces protective froth during its nymphal stage. The specific epithet 'salicis' suggests an association with willow (Salix), though this host relationship requires confirmation.
Clastoptera tricincta
Clastoptera tricincta is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, described by Doering in 1929. It belongs to a genus whose common name refers to the frothy 'spittle' produced by nymphs as a protective mechanism. Like other members of Clastopteridae, adults are typically small, compact insects with distinctive color patterns. The specific epithet 'tricincta' likely refers to three bands or stripes on the body, a common naming convention in the genus.
Philaenini
Philaenini is a tribe of froghoppers (family Aphrophoridae) established by Metcalf in 1955. Members are classified within the subfamily Aphrophorinae of the spittlebug superfamily Cercopoidea. The tribe contains multiple genera of xylem-feeding insects known for nymphs that produce protective foam masses. These insects are part of the diverse Hemiptera fauna associated with woody and herbaceous plants.
Philaronia
spittlebugs
Philaronia is a genus of spittlebugs in the family Aphrophoridae, established by Ball in 1899. The genus contains five described species distributed in North America. Members of this genus are part of the froghopper group, known for the nymphal stage's production of protective spittle masses.
Prosapia ignipecta
Red-legged Spittlebug, Black Spittlebug
Prosapia ignipecta, commonly known as the red-legged spittlebug or black spittlebug, is a species of froghopper in the family Ischnorhinidae. It is native to North America and is closely related to the economically significant twolined spittlebug (Prosapia bicincta), which has become a destructive invasive pest in Hawaiian pastures. The species belongs to a genus containing several important pasture and turfgrass pests across the Americas.
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.