Meadow Spittlebug Nymph - Philaenus spumariusSpit! Has someone passed by these plants and purpo

Meadow Spittlebug Nymph - Philaenus spumariusSpit! Has someone passed by these plants and purposely spit on them? And more worryingly, how does the spit deft gravity and just hang there on the plant? While you may be tempted to be grossed out at first, the globs of foam on these plants aren’t actually spit. It’s a collected mass of various liquids (which ones will be revealed later) that come together, generating a sticky foam which a family of insects uses to ward off drying out from the elements and avoid predation by staying hidden in the frothy mass. Such a behavior has given these insects the name “Spittlebug.” While I don’t encourage ruining an insect’s hard work in order to get a good image of them, I can recommend patience because you might find one of these insects that escapes from its foam to explore its home briefly. Since the insect is soft-bodied, it can’t afford to explore for too long. It could attempt to make fresh foam like the individual in Pictures 2-6, but a better strategy may be to return to its foam-home or enter the home of another Spittlebug. It’s unclear whether they’d cooperate or fight over ownership of the bubbles, but it may depend on how much room there is to go around.  Even this liquid safety has its drawbacks, however. Since the young insect is in a foamy environment, it needs specialized spiracles (breathing-holes) that are careful not to take fluid in when surrounded. Not much else this squishy little Bug can do until it reaches maturity and gains wings, stronger legs and a more solid body. Upon the final molt, the insect will look similar initially, but turn color from green to brown after leaving the foam and getting a little bit of sun. The individuals on display here aren’t too far away so with a little more feeding and growing, they’ll be ready. To achieve growth into adulthood, the young nymphs will settle on the plant and pierce the stem, drinking the sap from within. The excess of moisture obtained from the feeding is excreted as urine from the rear and incorporated into the production of the foam using specialized glands. Goodness, it’s like honeydew only acrid and nasty to any creature who dares eat it! So yes, is it insect spit? No, it’s much worse than that! It’s diluted insect urine frothed up into a home. Startling to think about, and yet, quite effective at protecting the little nymph. If there’s any consolation, its a boon that the urine is rather diluted and filtered to minimize unwanted effects from grime or pH balance.Pictures were taken on June 8, 2021 with a Google Pixel 4. -- source link

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