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Meadow spittlebug | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Meadow spittlebug

Philaenus spumarius

InsectaRough grassland, meadows, hedge banks, olive groves and gardens

Field profile

The meadow spittlebug is a small froghopper, around six millimetres, that varies enormously in colour pattern between individuals. The nymph feeds on xylem sap inside a mass of froth on a plant stem. Adults jump powerfully and are a vector of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-01-25

Meadow spittlebug

The spittlebug builds a house out of bubbles

The froth on a summer grass stem is not spit. A froghopper nymph sits head-down inside it, drinking dilute xylem sap and blowing the surplus into bubbles with air from its abdomen, producing a shelter that hides it and keeps it damp.

Read with evidence →