When I was out shooting cicadas the other day, I saw some of these weird little foam balls in a pine tree. They were about the size of my little fingernail. I suppose they are made by some insect, but I have no idea what it is.
If you walk in a field, look down on the stems of plants growing there, you'll see lots of them. I think the especially like Queen Anne's Lace. The one you have pictured is a Pine Spittlebug... of course. If you look inside the foam (who would want to...) you'll find what looks like a leaf hopper.
You're right Rick! It's made by a Spittlebug. Appropriately named!
ReplyDeleteGood grief... I've never heard of that before.
ReplyDeleteRick: How often our pictures teach us.
ReplyDeleteIf you walk in a field, look down on the stems of plants growing there, you'll see lots of them. I think the especially like Queen Anne's Lace. The one you have pictured is a Pine Spittlebug... of course. If you look inside the foam (who would want to...) you'll find what looks like a leaf hopper.
ReplyDeleteI saw and photographed a few of these myself on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteWe always called them "spit bugs" but I didn't look inside them either. Yuck.
There are over 23,000 species of spittlebugs! And the spit isn't spit - it comes from the other end. Ewwwww!!! (Hope you didn't get too close, Rick.)
ReplyDeleteSo it's really a schittlebug??
ReplyDeleteLucky thing Rick is a Schutterbug!