The frothy bubbles, often referred to as Cuckoo Spit, that are commonly seen on a wide variety of plants in the summer are made by the nymphs of Froghoppers which are members of the large Hemiptera order of insects, also known as True Bugs.
Within this large group of insects is a small sub group, known as Cercopidae, containing the ten different species of British froghoppers, the commonest of which is the Common Froghopper, also often referred to as the Spittle-bug.
The Common Froghopper is named for its jumping ability and because of its supposed facial resemblance to a frog.
Froghopper - nymph As green nymphs they suck the sap from plant stems and create a mass of bubbles as a defence against predators, a buffer against oscillating temperatures and to prevent dehydration.
The life-cycle of these insects has three stages: egg, nymph and adult. It does not have the pupal stage in which many other insects such as butterflies, dragonflies and moths complete their metamorphosis.
Before the adults die in the autumn they lay up to 100 eggs on the plants which then overwinter before hatching in the spring. The nymphs create the froth from sap and remain hidden beneath the bubbles, moulting on several occasions, until they are fully developed.
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