Aphid - Macrosiphum Rosae & Cuckoo_FNL4588
Lavender stems reflection in the water droplet of Cuckoo Spit on a stem of lavender, Blakeney, North Norfolk, UK.
I never knew what created this froth until a friend told me recently it was cuckoo spit and I searched for it on Wikipedia & Google.
The froghoppers, or the superfamily Cercopoidea, are a group of Hemipteran* insects. These families are best known for the nymph stage, which produces a cover of frothed-up plant sap resembling spit; the nymphs are therefore commonly known as spittlebugs, or spit bugs, and their froth as cuckoo spit or snake spit.
The froth serves a number of purposes. It hides the nymph from the view of predators and parasites, it insulates against heat and cold, thus providing thermal control and also moisture control. Without the froth the bug would quickly dry up. The nymphs pierce plants and suck sap causing damage, and much of the excess filtered fluids go into the production of the froth, which has an acrid taste, deterring predators.
In gardens they are frequently encountered on such plants as chrysanthemum, dahlia, fuchsia, lavender, rosemary and rose.
* Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs, comprising around 80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others. They range in size from 1 mm to around 15 cm, and share a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts.
One may hear that the name cuckoo spit is linked to the arrival of the spittle on plants which coincided with the first call of the cuckoo in spring. There are also some vague references to superstitions about spitting, whenever a cuckoo is heard, to avoid bad luck.
The froth is also known in some countries as 'snake-spit', 'frog-spit' or 'toad-spit'. In Scandinavian countries the froth is known as 'witches' spit' as they certainly used it in making their brew.
Well I have learned something and hope to see more cuckoo spit to look at the nymph hiding inside it as I never thought of doing before...
Aphid - Macrosiphum Rosae & Cuckoo_FNL4588
Lavender stems reflection in the water droplet of Cuckoo Spit on a stem of lavender, Blakeney, North Norfolk, UK.
I never knew what created this froth until a friend told me recently it was cuckoo spit and I searched for it on Wikipedia & Google.
The froghoppers, or the superfamily Cercopoidea, are a group of Hemipteran* insects. These families are best known for the nymph stage, which produces a cover of frothed-up plant sap resembling spit; the nymphs are therefore commonly known as spittlebugs, or spit bugs, and their froth as cuckoo spit or snake spit.
The froth serves a number of purposes. It hides the nymph from the view of predators and parasites, it insulates against heat and cold, thus providing thermal control and also moisture control. Without the froth the bug would quickly dry up. The nymphs pierce plants and suck sap causing damage, and much of the excess filtered fluids go into the production of the froth, which has an acrid taste, deterring predators.
In gardens they are frequently encountered on such plants as chrysanthemum, dahlia, fuchsia, lavender, rosemary and rose.
* Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs, comprising around 80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others. They range in size from 1 mm to around 15 cm, and share a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts.
One may hear that the name cuckoo spit is linked to the arrival of the spittle on plants which coincided with the first call of the cuckoo in spring. There are also some vague references to superstitions about spitting, whenever a cuckoo is heard, to avoid bad luck.
The froth is also known in some countries as 'snake-spit', 'frog-spit' or 'toad-spit'. In Scandinavian countries the froth is known as 'witches' spit' as they certainly used it in making their brew.
Well I have learned something and hope to see more cuckoo spit to look at the nymph hiding inside it as I never thought of doing before...