What is Spittle Bug?
Spittle bug belongs to a family Cercopidae of leaping homopterous insects whose nymph suck the sap from the plant and produce frothy (mass of small bubbles) secretion.
Scientific name – Cosmoscarta relata
Life cycle-
Eggs- Adult lays egg in dead twigs or slits cut into the bark of living stems. The eggs hatch in 2- 7 days.
Nymphs- The young nymphs are yellowish with black markings and older nymphs are brown. The nymph secretes spittle from their anus which protects them from predators, parasites, and dry weather. The spittle drop will attract the black sooty mould. The nymphs mature by July and soon leave the spittle in order to molt into the winged adult. The larvae period varies from 60- 75 days.
Adults- The adults are mottled grey with two faint parallel lines running across the wings. The adult doesn’t form any spittle colony, with blunt red head and prominent eyes which resemble a frog and also known as frog hoppers.
How does Spittle Bug damage?
- The nymphs and adults both suck the sap from tender twigs, shoots and leaves.
- The infected terminal shoots dry up.
- The leaves become yellow and curls.
How to manage Spittle Bug?
| Cultural Method | Chemical Control |
| Proper sanitation and cleaning should be followed.The infested shoots should be collected and disposed properly. | Spray: Quinalphos 25% EC @1.5 ml/litre. Neem oil 2 ml/litre.Buprofezin 25% SC @1 ml/litre.Thiomethoxam 25% WG @1 g/litre. |
References-
- Image source: https://niphm.gov.in/IPMPackages/Jackfruit.pdf
- http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=12668
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326761556_Pests_of_Jackfruit#:~:text=The%20life%20cycle%20is%20completed%20in%20around%2026%E2%80%9336%C2%A0,1979%3B%20Khan%20and%20Islam%202004%3B%20Manjunatha%20et%C2%A0al.%202014%29.
- https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1157&title=Two-Lined%20Spittlebug:%20Biology%20and%20Management%20in%20Turfgrass
