Hawaiʻi-invasive
Guides
Prosapia bicincta
Two-lined Spittlebug, Twolined Spittlebug
Prosapia bicincta, commonly known as the two-lined spittlebug, is a froghopper in the family Ischnorhinidae (formerly Cercopidae). Native to the eastern United States, it was first detected in Hawaiʻi in 2016 and has since become a destructive invasive pest of pasture grasses, infesting over 70,000 hectares on Hawaiʻi Island. The species is named for the two prominent red or orange stripes crossing the black wings of adults and for the foamy spittle masses produced by nymphs. It causes significant economic damage to forage grasses, turfgrasses, and sugarcane through feeding that induces water stress, reduces photosynthesis, and causes plant tissue death.