Well, I don't know what they are but they begin to be noticeable this time of year. There are over 50 species in the US that feed on a wide variety of plants. This is Pine Spittlebug, likely Aphrophora parallella and it's feeding on Pinus taiwanensis. Spittlebugs are sucking insects and oddly, suck from Xylem not Phloem. Xylem is much much less rich in nutrients than Phloem so more "juice" must be consumed. Maybe that's why they excrete so extensively and creatively.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Spittlebugs: it's easy to see why we call them spittlebugs and they are true bugs, but that stuff comes out the other end so they're really....
Well, I don't know what they are but they begin to be noticeable this time of year. There are over 50 species in the US that feed on a wide variety of plants. This is Pine Spittlebug, likely Aphrophora parallella and it's feeding on Pinus taiwanensis. Spittlebugs are sucking insects and oddly, suck from Xylem not Phloem. Xylem is much much less rich in nutrients than Phloem so more "juice" must be consumed. Maybe that's why they excrete so extensively and creatively.
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I learn a lot reading this blog...
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