Clastopteridae
Guides
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 delicata
spittlebug
Clastoptera delicata is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, first described by Uhler in 1876. It is found in western North America, with records from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon. Like other spittlebugs, its nymphs produce characteristic frothy masses of spittle on host plants. The species has been documented as prey for the crabronid wasp Clitemnestra bipunctata, which paralyzes and provisions its nests with adult spittlebugs.
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 hyperici
Clastoptera hyperici is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, first described by Gibson in 1920. It belongs to a group of insects known for producing protective foam masses during their nymphal stage. The species has been recorded from multiple localities in eastern North America. Like other spittlebugs, it is presumed to feed on plant sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts.
Clastoptera lineatocollis
Clastoptera lineatocollis is a species of spittlebug (family Clastopteridae) described by Stål in 1854. It occurs in western North America, with records from the southwestern United States through British Columbia. Like other spittlebugs, it produces protective froth during nymphal development. The species is among the prey items recorded for the sand wasp Clitemnestra bipunctata.
Clastoptera n-sp-az
Clastoptera n-sp-az is an undescribed species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, recorded from Arizona. The genus Clastoptera comprises small, compact spittlebugs commonly known as 'spittlebugs' or 'froghoppers' due to the nymphal habit of producing protective foam masses. This species remains formally undescribed, indicating limited published information regarding its biology and distribution.
Clastoptera obtusa
alder spittlebug
Clastoptera obtusa, commonly known as the alder spittlebug, is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae. It is native to North America and has been documented in multiple provinces and states across Canada and the United States. The species is part of a complex with three recognized subspecies: C. o. borealis, C. o. obtusa, and C. o. pallida. As a spittlebug, it belongs to the group of true bugs (Hemiptera) known for producing protective foam masses during their nymphal stages.
Clastoptera obtusa tristis
Clastoptera obtusa tristis is a subspecies of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae. Members of this genus are small, compact hemipterans commonly known as spittlebugs due to the frothy protective covering produced by nymphs. The subspecies designation indicates geographic or morphological variation within C. obtusa. Adults are typically found on woody vegetation.
Clastoptera octonotata
Clastoptera octonotata is a species of spittlebug described by Hamilton in 2015. It belongs to the family Clastopteridae, a group of xylem-feeding insects known for producing frothy spittle masses as nymphs. The species name refers to eight distinct markings. As a recently described species, detailed natural history information remains limited. It occurs in North America and has been documented through observations on iNaturalist.
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 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 sierra
Clastoptera sierra is a species of spittlebug in the family Clastopteridae, described by Doering in 1929. The genus Clastoptera comprises small, compact froghoppers commonly known as spittlebugs or froghoppers. Members of this family are characterized by their distinctive body shape and are associated with various host plants. C. sierra is known from California in the Sierra Nevada region.
Clastoptera siskiyou
Clastoptera siskiyou is a species of spittlebug described by Doering in 1929. It belongs to the family Clastopteridae, a small family of true bugs within the order Hemiptera. The species is named after the Siskiyou region and has been recorded in California and North America. Available information about this species is extremely limited, with only two observations documented in iNaturalist.
Clastoptera testacea
spittlebug
Clastoptera testacea is a species of spittlebug described by Fitch in 1851. As a member of family Clastopteridae, it produces protective foam masses during nymphal development. The species has been recorded as prey for the digger wasp Clitemnestra bipunctata, which provisions its nests with paralyzed spittlebugs. It occurs across eastern and central North America.
Clastoptera undulata
Casuarina Spittlebug
Clastoptera undulata is a spittlebug species in the family Clastopteridae, first described by Uhler in 1864. It is commonly known as the Casuarina Spittlebug. The species gained attention as an invasive pest in Bermuda, where it was discovered in 1959. Biological control efforts were undertaken using the parasitoid wasp Carabunia myersi. Most individuals in the Bermuda population overwinter as eggs. The species belongs to a group of xylem-feeding insects known for producing protective 'spittle' masses during their nymphal stages.