Not all froth and bubble

Both adult and young Spittlebugs suck the sap of plants. Young nymphs create a protective environment in which to live by excreting the excess water from the sap in the form of a foam, pictured left. The foam serves several purposes. Firstly it creates a moist environment to live in so that the nymphs don’t dehydrate. Secondly the foam acts as a thermally insulative barrier from the outside world and lastly the foam gives the young spittlebugs a place to hide.

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Not all spittlebugs however live in the froth and bubble. There is a small family of spittlebugs known as Tube Spittlebugs that suck the sap of eucalyptus trees. They extract calcium from the sap and construct a calcareous tube or cone that is attached to the tree, pictured right. The cone is filled with excreted fluid in which the spittlebug lives. The nymph has to leave the cone to moult at which time it creates a temporary foam ‘dressing room’ for itself to change in.

Such modest creatures.