Sometimes it is easiest to hide in plain sight of everyone and everything. Appear to be something else with little to no interest to anyone or anything which might happen to pass by and notice.
This strategy is the basis for numerous disguises used as part of the camouflage tactic. Blend into the background and be benign, boring and bland.
Utilize the native environment to pass unnoticed while accomplishing the task at hand. Countless saboteurs and provocateurs have successfully employed this technique, and so have some insects which want to work undetected.
Spittlebugs hide themselves in a way meant to deceive the casual observer. This insect usually passes unobserved until their damage is noticed and they are sought to account for their transgressions.
Spittlebugs are present throughout the entire state and are most abundant in northern and northwestern Florida. The adult Prosapia bicincta feed on a wide variety of native and ornamental plants common in panhandle Florida.
Spittlebug nests are usually overlooked, as they are usually tucked away near the soil. “Snake spit” was once the common name for these nests.
Their propensity to attack turfgrass species is what commonly calls attention to their presence for the human residents. Centipede grass is the most susceptible to their damage, and this turf is commonly under stress because soil conditions in Florida’s coastal locations are not favorable to this popular species of grass.
Adult two-lined spittlebugs are easy to identify if seen. They are about 1/4 inch long with black bodies, red eyes and legs and have two orange stripes across their wings.
The mature spittlebugs are commonly active during early morning, but they hide near the soil surface during the heat of the day. They are capable of a split-second hop when a threatening situation is perceived.
The nymphs are yellow or a creamy white in color with a distinct brown head, but they are rarely seen. They are cloaked by a mass of white frothy foam which they excrete for disguise and protection.
Adult two-lined spittlebugs have the capacity to escape in a fraction of a second. Their rear legs are used to propel them to safety and away from creatures that may eat them.
The foam has the appearance, at least to humans, of a projected expectoration, or spittle, from some uncouth trespasser. The opaque mass is not inviting and obscures this insect’s hidden agenda.
During the nymph stage this native pest is feeding on its plant host. Most spittle masses occur near the soil surface or in thatch making them observable, but only to those who are looking.
Some dried spittle masses may appear high on the host plant during the adult’s emergence. High moisture and humid conditions favor their development and flourishing populations.
Spittlebug numbers tend to be higher during years with ample spring and summer rainfall. For home owners and landscape managers, excessive thatch accumulation also favors a spittlebug population explosion by providing an excellent incubation site for the nymphs.
There are usually two to three generations per year, depending on weather conditions, and 2022 has been very favorable. The life cycle requires about two and a half months.
Eggs are laid in hollow grass stems or behind the leaf sheaths. The late season eggs overwinter and hatch the following spring typically from late March to late April.
First generation adults are most abundant in June with the adult population peaking again in August or September. The spittlebugs will prosper as long as the disguise works.
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