Dale Harding
Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
The species reaches a body length of 5–7 millimetres (0.20–0.28 in). Most females are slightly larger than males. In these polymorphic insects, the coloration of the body is very variable (about 20 different colors are known). Usually, they are yellowish, brownish, or black, with brighter patches on a dark background, but also with dark markings on a lighter background.
The most common modes of locomotion are running and flying, but the most striking is their strong jumping ability, which is useful for escaping from predators. When jumping, the hind leg tarsal spines and spine hairs are embedded into the material the animal is jumping from, typically a plant, and provide the purchase needed for a lateral jump - confirmed with scanning electron micrographs. X-ray spectroscopy revealed that the darker coloured sclerotized tips of the spines, the last 6/100ths of a millimetre or so, contain zinc.
Eggs are white with an orange spot; this spot becomes darker and larger if the egg is fertilised, approximately 1mm long and 0.3mm wide. The larvae, also called nymphs, hatch after about 20 days and develop through five stages, known as instars.
The larvae are well known for the self-generated foam nests which can be observed during spring in meadows (especially on cuckoo flowers, Cardamine pratensis, and broom, Genista, species). The larvae in the foam nests are largely protected from predators and also get the necessary moisture for the appropriate development and temperature, so their mortality remains low even in bad weather. The larval stage lasts about 50 days. The adults leave the foam nest only when it is completely dried. This takes about ten days. The females mate soon after.
Froghoppers are polyphagous, their host plant specificity is low, so that they can feed on a variety of plants, mainly grasses (Poaceae species), reed plants (Juncaceae species), herbs and sometimes trees (including the olive tree, where the species has been identified as spreading Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium associated with Olive quick decline syndrome). They have been identified on over 170 host plants.
Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius)
The species reaches a body length of 5–7 millimetres (0.20–0.28 in). Most females are slightly larger than males. In these polymorphic insects, the coloration of the body is very variable (about 20 different colors are known). Usually, they are yellowish, brownish, or black, with brighter patches on a dark background, but also with dark markings on a lighter background.
The most common modes of locomotion are running and flying, but the most striking is their strong jumping ability, which is useful for escaping from predators. When jumping, the hind leg tarsal spines and spine hairs are embedded into the material the animal is jumping from, typically a plant, and provide the purchase needed for a lateral jump - confirmed with scanning electron micrographs. X-ray spectroscopy revealed that the darker coloured sclerotized tips of the spines, the last 6/100ths of a millimetre or so, contain zinc.
Eggs are white with an orange spot; this spot becomes darker and larger if the egg is fertilised, approximately 1mm long and 0.3mm wide. The larvae, also called nymphs, hatch after about 20 days and develop through five stages, known as instars.
The larvae are well known for the self-generated foam nests which can be observed during spring in meadows (especially on cuckoo flowers, Cardamine pratensis, and broom, Genista, species). The larvae in the foam nests are largely protected from predators and also get the necessary moisture for the appropriate development and temperature, so their mortality remains low even in bad weather. The larval stage lasts about 50 days. The adults leave the foam nest only when it is completely dried. This takes about ten days. The females mate soon after.
Froghoppers are polyphagous, their host plant specificity is low, so that they can feed on a variety of plants, mainly grasses (Poaceae species), reed plants (Juncaceae species), herbs and sometimes trees (including the olive tree, where the species has been identified as spreading Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium associated with Olive quick decline syndrome). They have been identified on over 170 host plants.