Quantock Hills Blog
A WHOLE LOTTA SPIT
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Posted by Andy Harris on 13 July 2010
This year has been a great year for Cuckoos with some still being heard within the last week.
Appearing at the same time and in the past thought to be linked to the Cuckoo is Cuckoo Spit. This is in fact a small beastie called a froghopper (a small insect related to aphids) which surrounds itself in a froth called “cuckoo spit” and this year, just like it's avian namesake, there seems to be a lot.
The adult lays it's eggs in late summer and in the following spring they hatch into nymphs and it is during this stage when the nymph feeds on the host plant that it produces the froth from excess sap. The froth serves two main purposes. Firstly it helps it hide away from predators as the sap covers them completely and does not taste nice and it also protects them from drying out.
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